


We Don't Play by the Rules

by luhans (aureate)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Hogwarts!au, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-09 22:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3266960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aureate/pseuds/luhans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jongin loves Quidditch, too bad his tutor doesn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Don't Play by the Rules

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the first round of [exolliarmus](http://hp-exolliarmus.livejournal.com).

“Good game, Jongin!”  
  
Jongin snaps his head around at the light slap on his right shoulder. A familiar 185 cm boy with a teeth-full of grin suddenly blocks his sight. He wipes the sweat off his eyes with the back of his left hand and grins back.  
  
“Thanks for saving me from that last Bludger,” he says, rubbing some dirt off his hands against his pants, which is not so much cleaner.  
  
Chanyeol barks a laugh. He gives Jongin’s shoulder a squeeze, unaware of how the other’s face turning a shade redder. “I just did my job; protecting my precious star seeker,” he coos over him. “It is thanks to you our team won.”  
  
Jongin shakes his head, shrugging, “It’s thanks to all of our members. I couldn’t have done it without you guys.”  
  
A shorter guy pops up behind him, the grin on his face matching Chanyeol’s. “Aw, look at Jonginnie being shy and cute,” he snickers, ruffling Jongin’s already messed up hair.  
  
"Stop it, Byun," Jongin tries to swat away the bony hand. He turns his head around and sends a scowl at the team's other beater, Byun Baekhyun. It doesn't have much effect on him, though.  
  
Baekhyun laughs. He ducks away from Jongin's dangerously strong hands and goes to his best friend's side swiftly, "Say, Chanyeol, our Jongin is all grown up. But he still looks cute, right?" He looks up to Chanyeol, who is pretending to think seriously, and Jongin wants to fake a puke. Chanyeol Park never thinks, unless it includes the strategy to bring the bludger to the opposing team.  
  
They have been friends over Quidditch since Year 1. Jongin's obsession towards the sports made him beg the Head of their house, Professor Kwon, to let him play a position in the team even when he was only a first grader. The denial that came from the professor was humiliating, but Jongin didn't let down his pride. He showed how talented he was by rescuing a fellow Gryffindor's pet cat that was drowning in the Lake by broom. The professor admitted his skill finally, but he still should wait until the second year to join.  
  
It didn't matter to him, because now he is best friends with the Gryffindor whose pet he saved. He was Byun Baekhyun.  
  
Then Park Chanyeol came along, claiming that the three of them should be called the golden trio of Quidditch. It's pretty much like Harry Potter and co., but for Quidditch. When Chanyeol said that Jongin could be their Harry, that was when the star seeker realized that he might be liking Chanyeol a little bit more than he should.  
  
Only that Chanyeol made it clear on Year 4 that he was interested in a certain Ravenclaw named Kim Junmyeon who didn't even play Quidditch. It has made Jongin angry. They could be the perfect Quidditch couple, so why would Chanyeol ditch him for a geeky Ravenclaw who preferred the library than the Quidditch pitch?  
  
"He's in Jung's choir club," Chanyeol admitted sheepishly over a smuggled Firewhiskey they were having after a winning match against Hufflepuff on the first weekend of March. The air was getting warm, but their captain insisted that it was good for their body. "You know, Jonginnie, try to get out of Quidditch some time. There's a big world out there you might need to explore."  
  
Jongin hated Chanyeol that night. He didn't understand how he feels. Quidditch is Jongin's life, a part of oxygen his lungs inhale to burn in his systems and help them work. He also hated how he had to admit that a little part of Chanyeol's words were true.  
  
That was why he met Do Kyungsoo, who was apparently Kim Junmyeon’s best friend. It made sense, really, how a best friend of Chanyeol should befriend his love interest's best friend. Kyungsoo is an interesting person, Jongin finds. He listens to Jongin's endless ramblings of Quidditch and even if he doesn't play, he agrees to accompany Jongin in small Seeker games in weekend. He helps Jongin catch up with his studies, even though Jongin mostly sleeps through their lessons together.  
  
Their friendship works, though, and it all that matters to Jongin.  
  
"Our Jongin will always be cute," Chanyeol concludes, and that earns him a painful punch on his left arm from Jongin. That's only because it's his non-beating arm.  
  
Baekhyun laughs, he leans his head on Chanyeol's shoulder and Jongin groans, aware of how his knuckles turn into a hard grip.  
  
"Careful, Chanyeol, or you won't be able to celebrate tonight. Jongin here looks way too antsy for someone who has caught the snitch in the match."  
  
Chanyeol grins. Both of his hands are propped on his waist, emphasizing on his long, lanky torso. It was unbelievable at first that he signed up for the beater position in the team. Choi Minho, the previous captain, insisted to put him on Keeper's trial. He really did better as a Beater, though.  
  
“I hate you guys.” Jongin pouts slightly, but he couldn’t hide the grin that comes afterwards.  
  
The truth is, he doesn’t know what person he would become if it wasn’t for them.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
A Fourth Year girl approaches him between his fourth and fifth Butterbeer. She looks reluctant; shy. He smiles at her, nodding slightly.  
  
"Professor Kwon wants to meet you in her office now," she says.  
  
“What does she want with me?”  
  
The girl shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe you should figure out yourself."  
  
Jongin raises an eyebrow. "Thank you," he dismisses the girl. He puts down his glass on a table and tries to find friends among the crowd in the Common Room.  
  
He finds Baekhyun easily, playing chess with Kang Seulgi, a bright girl that plays Chaser for their team.  
  
"Kwon wants to see me," Jongin says, sitting on the armrest of the couch Baekhyun is sitting on. He takes a look at the chessboard, smiling slightly as he notices how Baekhyun is losing another game to Seulgi. They have been at it since they discovered their mutual interests in wizarding chess in Third Year. "Do you think you know why?"  
  
Baekhyun nudges him away with his elbow, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Perhaps she wants to thank you for another Quidditch victory," he hums, eyes flickering back and forth between Seulgi's winning smile and the chess board. "Just go and see her. I'm trying to save myself from being the matchmaker between this lady here and a certain Beater of Ravenclaw," he mutters under his breath.  
  
Jongin snorts. He immediately regrets his decision to talk to his friend. “Fine.” He gets up from the armrest, managing to knock Baekhyun’s head with his butt not-so-accidentally.  
  
He reluctantly crosses the room and makes his way out of the Fat Lady’s paint. He bumps into someone at the exit.  
  
“Jongin?”  
  
It is Chanyeol. He looks like he has been running around the Quidditch pitch ten times; hair messy and breathless. His widening eyes make it clear that he certainly didn’t expect to bump into Jongin in his way in.  
  
“You weren’t inside?” Jongin is confused. He didn’t spend his time with Chanyeol in the common room, but he thought the tall boy would be in their dorm. It is rare for Chanyeol to miss winning celebrations in the Common Room.  
  
“I, er, have some business to attend,” Chanyeol scratches the bridge of his nose, a gesture Jongin learns he always do when he is nervous. Jongin is suspicious. “Are you going somehwere?”  
  
Jongin blinks. It must be something to do with Junmyeon. “Oh, yeah. Kwon wants to see me.”  
  
“Well, you’d better not be late, mate,” Chanyeol grins. “It could be something serious."  
  
“Yeah.” Jongin smiles. The thought of asking his friend to accompany him to the Head of the House’s office is quickly discarded. “I’m going now. Have fun.”  
  
He doesn’t wait until Chanyeol climbs into the portrait to walk away. The direction of Professor Kwon’s office is easy to remember. He has gone there quite a few times, often for Quidditch matters. She never admits it, but Prof. Kwon is an ambitious lady; she always encourages her Gryffindor students to excel in what they do and claim a lot of House points. Jongin likes her a lot, although she was not willing to admit his skills in the first year.  
  
“Ambrosia.”  
  
The door appears, and Jongin knocks.  
  
“Come in,” comes a familiar voice from inside.  
  
Jongin carefully opens the door. After four years residing in the castle, he still acts cautious around the teachers.  
  
“Professor, you asked for me?”  
  
“Yes,” Kwon looks up from her pile of parchment; probably grading for her Transfiguration class essays. She picks her wand and spells a tea set to appear on her desk. Jongin takes this as a cue to sit in the cushioned chair across her. “Please help yourself,” she says, gesturing to the lemon biscuits she always serves for her guests.  
  
Jongin nods, taking one as a polite gesture as the professor puts the parchment pile aside. She puts her hands together on the table’s surface, leaning forward so Jongin can see the details of her face clearly.  
  
“Congratulations for the match today. I heard you were the one who did the saving move.” She says.  
  
Jongin tries his best not to fluster and choke on his biscuit. It is not everyday you get to hear the Head of your House to make compliment on you. He clears his throat, deciding to answer with a humble, “The move was necessary. Thanks, Professor.”  
  
“You make our House proud, Mr. Kim.”  
  
“Thank you, Professor.”  
  
“Well, you know that, but there’s something bothering me lately.” Professor Kwon sighs. She leans back in her chair, looking wary. “Professor Jung approached me today, saying you aren’t doing good in his class.” Of course, who would be doing good in Potions, anyway? Except the Ravenclaws, and some Slytherin, because Jung likes to play favorites. “Your records don’t ensure us that you would be enough to pass the Potions O.W.L.”  
  
Jongin frowns, “But I’m going to play Quidditch. I don’t need Potions for O.W.L to become a Quidditch Player  
  
“No, you don’t. But you need to at least pass the course to continue your education here, Mr. Kim.” Jongin hates it when his teacher emphasizes on his surname.  
  
“Okay,” he gives up after a few minutes contemplating if he wants to be good in Potions or not. He could ask Kyungsoo or Junmyeon to help him with Potions.  
  
Professor Kwon smiles. “Good. We assigned a tutor for you already.”  
  
“What?” Jongin asks in surprise.  
  
“He is not in your class, but Professor Jung personally recommended him for you. I think it’s good.”  
  
“But Professor, I can just ask my friends to teach me or something.”  
  
“Mr. Kim, we assigned him for you because there are reasons for that. And I hope you could get to fix your grade before the Quidditch match in May. I am very sorry but I have to ask Mr. Park to look for another seeker until Professor Jung agrees to let you play again.”  
  
“Professor please,” Jongin pleads. “How do you expect me not playing Quidditch?”  
  
“Then at least change those ’T’s on your quiz papers to ‘A’s. I’m not asking much.” She purses up her lips stubbornly, obviously not taking ‘no’ as an answer. Her eyes are  _begging_  him to agree with her, and Professor Jung as well, on that matter.  
  
Jongin breathes in, and a little while later he says, “Okay.” He finally says, because he has no other choice. Months without Quidditch would be torturing, but he would endure for the sake of playing for the team again.  
  
“Great. Expect a word from me on your breakfast tomorrow morning.” She says at last before dismissing him from her office.  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
Jongin eats breakfast with a gloomy look on his face. His friends has been probing him with questions but he doesn’t answer. It’s embarrassing, he thinks, to be banned out from something he loves. He is planning to tell Baekhyun and Chanyeol, but not in the Great Hall where everyone could actually hear their conversation.  
  
Two other slices of bacon go onto his plate. He frowns.  
  
“Eat up,” Baekhyun says. “Don’t look so sour, mate.”  
  
“What did Kwon say to you?” Chanyeol asks curiously. There’s a drip of pumpkin juice he has just drank on his chin. Jongin winces at the sight, slightly relieved that he has came over his stupid crush for his friend.  
  
“Can’t say it here.” He takes his own glass and drinks the pumpkin juice.  
  
Baekhyun frowns. “Why? She told you to go save the world or something?”  
  
“It’s not that,” he rolls his eyes. “It’s—“  
  
His words are cut by the sudden noises that enters the Great Hall. In an instant, most of the heads are lifted up in anticipation as the owls swarm in to the Hall with various things clutched on their claws. Soon gifts and newspapers are dropped onto the big tables.  
  
Baekhyun snatches the copy of Daily Prophet the delivery owl drops for him. He has been subscribing for the newspaper since last year. It keeps him up with the latest gossips, he said. Another owl flies in their direction, confusing him. “What is that? Did you order something again, Yeol?” He asks Chanyeol who is still busy munching on his sandwich.  
  
“It’s for me,” Jongin mutters.  
  
The grey owl perches on his right shoulder and pecks his cheek lightly. He plucks a berry from the fruit bowl and feeds the owl with it. The owl hoots happily, stretching a leg out so Jongin could retrieve the letter attached to it. He opens up the scroll with not much anticipation.  
  
_The Library. 7pm. Monday._  
  
Even without the signature Jongin recognizes the writing already. It is from Professor Kwon.  
  
“What is that?” Chanyeol peers at the paper curiously.  
  
Jongin looks at both of his friends, deciding on how he should tell them. “I’m going to start a tutoring session in Potions. Kwon arranged the schedule for me.”  
  
“Oh, that sounds good. Your Potions grade is, no offense, helpless.” Baekhyun chirps in.  
  
“Yeah,” he bites on his lower lip, glancing at the team’s captain nervously. Chanyeol raises his eyebrows in confusion. “But I can’t play Quidditch until my O.W.L result comes out good.”  
  
“You what?!” Chanyeol and Baekhyun shouts in unison.  
  
Jongin turns to look at the long table in front of the Hall, catching Professor Kwon’s intense gaze. He sighs. “Yeah. I was going to avoid it, but when I visited the broomshed this morning, my broom was gone already.”  
  
Chanyeol buries his face in his hands, groaning. He is frustrated by the sudden news of losing the star Seeker of their team. “You just have to do it and you can at least play by the final match, right?” He asks, making sure.  
  
“If our time makes it to the final, yeah.”  
  
“Then you have to do it!” Baekhyun fusses. “Don’t try to avoid it, okay? We will be doomed if you can’t play for us forever.”  
  
The Seeker turns to look at him. “I should do it?”  
  
“Yes, Jongin. Have some sense and at least meet your tutor first,” Chanyeol says. He is rubbing his palm against his cheeks, trying to clear out his mind.  
  
Jongin shrugs, feeling defeated. He stares back at the letter in his hand. “I guess…”  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
Jongin arrives at the library fifteen minutes earlier than he is supposed to. He decides to wander around the shelves aimlessly, looking around and thinking how he should greet his tutor when he arrives later. It is not everyday he gets to sit around leisurely at the library with a book under his eyes. The only time he would do it is when Chanyeol drags him to have a study session together with the others.  
  
He finds an empty table by the corner near potions books shelves. The couch looks comfy, and the lighting is just right. It is pretty discoverable, too. If his tutor comes to the library often, he would find him easily. Jongin grabs a random book that is closest to his reach and sits down.  
  
He understands nothing of the book; it is rambling of a witch with a name Jongin could barely pronounce who seemed to do a great deed to the potions world. He flips the pages randomly, only looking at the pictures.  
  
Jongin honestly wouldn’t be here if it weren’t from the coaxing of his friends. He has given up and agreed to meet his tutor, but he didn’t exactly promise to sit down and let himself be played around by Professor Kwon and Professor Jung. He is still thinking over his plan to escape the tutoring. He hates Potions afterall.  
  
“Kim Jongin?”  
  
Jongin’s lifts up his head to find a boy, slightly taller than him, with pointy nose and straight blond hair standing before him in green-silver uniform. He remembers seeing the boy a few times in his Transfiguration class, and sometimes Astronomy. Jongin didn’t pay much attention to other people. “Hi,” he stands up, extending out his hand in attempt to initiate a peaceful handshake. “Are you my tutor?”  
  
The boy stares down at his outstretched hand, hesitating a bit before he shakes his hand. “Yes, I am. My name is Oh Sehun.”  
  
“I know,” Jongin says quickly. There is something that makes him want Sehun to have a good impression on him. “We share some classes together, don’t we?”  
  
The corner of Sehun’s lips is slightly pulled up, “Yeah, we do. Though I didn’t expect you to know my name.” He sits down on the chair across to Jongin, propping his chin with his hands. He takes a time to study Jongin’s face; it slightly distrubs him.  
  
“Uh,” he starts, shifting with an unease on his chair. The Slytherin raises an eyebrow, urging him to continue. “I actually don’t want to do this,” he says, deciding to play it straight.  
  
“You don’t?” Sehun asks calmly.  
  
“No. I, uh, Kwon made me do it.”  
  
“What is it that she did to have you agreed, then?”  
  
“She seized my permission to play Quidditch until I pass Potions O.W.L with satisfying grade.” He says.  
  
The water in Sehun’s face changes. His face darkens, turning into a scowl. “You play Quidditch?”  
  
Jongin shrugs. “Yeah, I do. Do you have problems with it?”  
  
Sehun sneers. “Problem, he said…” he mutters under his breath, not loud enough for Jongin to hear. In a second his face is back like it was before. “Well, you have that, and I have my own reason. Why don’t we be adults and accept the reality that we need to this?”  
  
“Can’t we do it any other way?” He asks, trying to shrug off the weird change in the other.  
  
“No. Jung would keep a tab on me.” Sehun answers. “We have no other choice. I believe you want whatever it is Kwon bribing you with, right?”  
  
“Well, yeah—“  
  
“Great. Wednesday, 7pm. There’s an unused classrom in the first floor. Jung said we could use it."  
  
Jongin sighs. Somehow he couldn’t find himself saying no to Sehun’s argument. What he said has a point, and yes, he does want what Kwon promised to him. Well, if that really worth everything…  
  
“Fine.”  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
It doesn’t take long for Jongin to find the mentioned unused classroom on Wednesday. He stares at the knight statue next to the door that seems like guarding the room. It takes him twenty seconds to convince himself the statue wouldn’t come alive and it’s safe to open the door.  
  
“You’re early.” Sehun’s voice rings through the room as Jongin closes the door behind him. The classroom has been turned into a spare potions lab; cauldrons are lined up and there are some herbs Jongin couldn’t name hanging from the racks at the back of the room. The Slytherin is sitting behind of an empty table, a book laid out in front of him.  
  
“Not earlier than you, it seems,” replies Jongin. He walks up to where Sehun is sitting. “Is this room supposed to be guarded or something?” He asks, taking the liberty to grab a chair and sits across the blonde.  
  
Sehun squints his eyes, “You meant Sir Solomon’s statue? Nah, he just likes it there.”  
  
“He has a name?” Jongin splutters in surprise.  
  
“If you look closely to the golden plate under his feet, you would see it. Anyway, back to topic. How bad is your Potions skill that Jung wants me to personally train you?” Sehun leans closer, eyes scanning Jongin’s face carefully. He is doing that face studying again. It makes Jongin really nervous.  
  
“Er,” he blinks. He is not used to be watched so closely like that. “Bad enough that he takes off ten house points every class? That’s not so bad though, isn’t it?”  
  
The Slytherin leans back, giving Jongin his room to breath. “We’ll see,” he says. “What do you know about  _Cure for Boils_?”  
  
“It’s a First Year potion,” Jongin frowns. Of course he knows about that potion. "are you mocking me?”  
  
Sehun shrugs. “Try to brew that first and we’ll decide later.”  
  
Jongin gets up. He walks over to the rack and grabs the ingredients he needs: snake fangs, porcupine quills, and horned slugs. He starts to work on the table next to Sehun’s. He can feel the heavyweight of Sehun’s eyes on him, watching him closely as he crushes the first ingredient. It makes him nervous, somehow. He knows Jung always keeps an eye on him in classes, but the way Sehun watches him is… different.  
  
He puts the crushed fangs inside the cauldron carefully. Glancing at the blonde, Jongin makes sure Sehun approves of what he is doing. The other boy is putting on a passive face, not showing any slightest reaction. Jongin shakes his head; he needs to clear his mind. He grabs the next ingredient and starts to slice it.  
  
“Stop it,” Sehun says suddenly. It stops Jongin from adding dried nestles into the cauldron. “You will ruin the potion.”  
  
“What?” Jongin stares at him in disbelief. He knows he has done all the steps according to the textbook so far. It is the same steps he has been memorizing before the final test in his first year.  
  
“What color did you get for your potion usually?”  
  
“Yellow,” answers him. Jongin knows he never succeeds in making the potion, even when it’s the easiest and most basic one. His potion always turns yellow if they don’t end up in explosions, never blue like it should be. He got a straight  _Troll_  on his finals for that.  
  
“Of course, you prepared the ingredients all wrong,” Sehun says. He grabs a box of pins from the corner of the room and transfigure them into snake fangs.  
  
Jongin squints his eyes, trying to get a closer look at what the Slytherin is doing, “Are those—“  
  
“You remember the steps right, but you never succeeded because you have been preparing them wrong. It is important to practice a lot to get the grip,” he puts the box in front of Jongin. “Crush them.”  
  
Jongin yanks the box from him and puts some fangs onto his mortar. He is angry for some reasons he couldn’t pinpoint well. He is here to learn how to excel his Potions O.W.L, and yet the tutor only gives him fake fangs to crush on. Sehun is not doing anything helpful for that either. He just sits there, reading whatever book he is bringing, and not making any constructive comments on Jongin’s work.  
  
It seems like Sehun has charmed the box to keep adding more fangs each time it gets emptied. Jongin starts to sweat, his hand is tired. He fills his sixth bottle of snake fangs powder when Sehun finally closes his book. The Slytherin checks the time with a spell and white smokes start to form into numbers.  
  
“It has been two hours already,” he says, amused. Jongin doesn’t say anything. He watches as Sehun takes the bottle and pours some powder onto his palm, checking its consistency. “How are you feeling?”  
  
“Isn’t it bad enough for you to have me working all night? Why do you have to engage me into a conversation too now?”  
  
Sehun smirks, “That wasn’t so bad, was that?” he flops down from his chair. A swish of wand and all the powder Jongin has been working on is vanished. “So, next Wednesday? Same place and time?” He looks up to him innocently; it makes Jongin want to punch him square in the nose.  
  
He tries hard not to, though. He had just asked Sehun for peace the other day, and he’s not going to ruin in anytime soon, even though he is such a git that makes Jongin do stupid things. It’s okay. It’s for Quidditch. It’s for his future. “Okay."  
  
“See you, Jongin.”  
  
Sehun takes long strides across the room, bringing his back with him. He brushes past Jongin’s shoulder briefly in the process. He couldn’t help but staring at the Slytherin’s butt as he slides outside the room. It’s only a good thing that at least his butt is cute, Jongin thinks.  
  
Or not.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
Jongin shows up to the Great Hall for breakfast later than usual. He woke up to empty beds in the dorm room, and the sun was already high by the window. He rushed his shower so he could still catch breakfast in time. He easily finds Chanyeol’s messy flop of hair among the students sitting at the Gryffindor table. It is one of the perk of having someone tall as your friend.  
  
He sits down at the empty seat next to Baekhyun, sneakily steals one sandwich he has in his plate and starts to chew. He is still tired from what Sehun had him doing last night. He went straight to bed, not even bothering to have some chocolate to restore his energy. Chanyeol notices this, filling his cup with pumpkin juice and giving it to him.  
  
“How was last night with Mr. Tutor?” He asks. This catches Baekhyun’s attention too. He takes another sandwich from the big plate to replace the one Jongin stole from him and eats it in big bites.  
  
Jongin shrugs. He takes big gulps of the juice to ease the dryness of his throat. “We weren’t doing anything. I just crushed this unreasonable amount of snake fangs and in the end he disposed it all.”  
  
Baekhyun frowns, “What was it for? I thought you were supposed to practice brewing some potions like Draught of Peace.”  
  
“Which Jung said we should study beforehand since it’s going to be in the O.W.L this year,” Chanyeol adds. “That reminds me, Junmyeon asked if we want to join the study group tonight.” He looks at Baekhyun, who is still staring at Jongin.  
  
“I don’t know,” Jongin says, ignoring Chanyeol’s offer. “I was thinking it would be like that, too. He asked be to brew Cure for Boils, for Merlin’s sake. And he told me to stop in the middle of it, saying that I was preparing them wrong and made me crush this whole box of snake fangs that he transfigured.”  
  
“Whoa,” Baekhyun breathes out, “This tutor of you, what is his name? Why does he sound like a genius?” He asks, curious of why he couldn’t think of anyone. Baekhyun is famous for knowing almost all of the students in their year.  
  
“Not a Ravenclaw?” Chanyeol asks. He picks an apple from a fruits basket that just refilled itself and plops it down into his mouth.  
  
“No,” Jongin sighs. He flickers his eyes in the direction of the Slytherin table. He could spot Sehun’s blond hair right away. The boy is enjoying his bowl of salad, attentively listening to his friends talking next to him. “Definitely not a Ravenclaw,” he says. “It would be a lot easier if it’s a Ravenclaw.”  
  
“Who is it?” Baekhyun asks. His eyes follow where Jongin is staring at. “A Slytherin?”  
  
“ _Slytherin_?” Chanyeol turns his body around to look, too.  
  
“It’s Oh Sehun.”  
  
Baekhyun’s head snapped, turning to look at him. “Oh Sehun? Our year?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jongin frowns, looking back at Baekhyun who is staring at him with bewildered eyes. “You know him?”  
  
Baekhyun giggles, slapping Jongin’s shoulder playfully. “You’re so lucky, you know mate? Oh Sehun is ranked as the hottest male student in our year. I bet so many girls would pay galleons to be in your position.”  
  
Jongin leans back from his friend’s touch. Somehow hearing the information only makes him feel more uncomfortable towards the Slytherin. “Uh, Baek, you need to stop gossiping with the Hufflepuff girls.”  
  
“I’m not kidding, Jongin. It’s a vote that we do every terms,” he grabs Jongin’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “So how does it feel to be in a room alone with Mr. Hot Wizard? See, his intellectual skill even makes it hotter. He only associate with a few people. That’s his best friend, the one sitting next to him,” Baekhyun gestures to the boy sitting with his head close to Sehun’s, “Huang Zitao, a pureblood from China. It is said that he inherited the blood of Chinese dragons."  
  
“Baekhyun,” Jongin groans, “I swear he is nothing but a pointy, arrogant git in the classroom.”  _With a cute butt_ , but Jongin doesn’t say that out loud. “And him being friends with only pure-bloods makes it worse."  
  
“See the light, Jongin.” Baekhyun pats his shoulder. “Grow up and see the light.”  
  
“I still hate him,” he mutters under his breath. Fortunately his friend doesn’t catch it. Baekhyun is busy staring at Oh Sehun and his friend. Jongin scowls. He wants to stop him from doing it, but he doesn’t know why.  
  
“Jongin.” Chanyeol’s voice distracts him from his thought. “Study group tonight six, at the library. Are you in?”  
  
Jongin nods. “Yeah. I might need to catch up on Charms with Junmyeon.”  
  
Chanyeol grins, he flashes a thumb up. “Good. I will let him know.”  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
They walk to the library after they are finished with dinner. They are not allowed to eat in the library, but Baekhyun and Chanyeol manage to sneak in some bread without getting caught. Jongin spots their friends easily, tucked in their usual table at the left wing of the library. Kyungsoo notices them coming, nodding his head in their direction.  
  
Jongin takes his usual seat next to Kyungsoo, while Chanyeol slides in easily next to Junmyeon and Baekhyun across him. At the other side of Junmyeon, Jongdae Kim, the Quidditch captain of Ravenclaw’s team, busies himself with his own parchment.  
  
“Is that Transfiguration essay?” Chanyeol asks, peering to look at Jongdae’s handwriting.  
  
“Yes, it is. Don’t block my view, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon sighs, attempting with very minimum effort to get Chanyeol sit back down. The tall boy has indeed somehow blocked the light to the Ravenclaw’s book.  
  
“Oh, sorry Junmyeon.” He sits back in his seat, now craning his neck through Junmyeon’s back in attempt to engage Jongdae in a conversation. “Are you working on the  _Inanimatus Conjurus Spell_  already? Have you figured it out?”  
  
Jongdae looks up from his essay, there is a blotch of ink on the bridge of his nose. Chanyeol almost laughs at that, though he doesn’t make any effort to wipe it off his friend. “I don’t know how much the professor wants us to write, but I have only managed one foot of the essay.” He sighs.  
  
“One foot?” Baekhyun asks, surprise obvious in his tone. “I haven’t even started on it.”  
  
“Junmyeon has written two feet,” he says. “Don’t even start on me.”  
  
“That’s why you guys need to start working on it now,” Junmyeon sighs. His lips have turned into a slight pout. “Professor Lee said that it should be long, but I don’t know how long. So I just do what I could"  
  
“It isn’t due until next week, though?” Jongin asks, suddenly feeling dizzy at the reminder of the Transfiguration essay. He hasn’t even worked on Charms essay which due much earlier than that one.  
  
“Yes, but it’s always nice to work on it early,” Kyungsoo chides in. He turns to look at his best friend. “Have you done your Charms essay?”  
  
Jongin shrugs, shaking his head slightly. “I was hoping Junmyeon could help me on that.” He steals a glance at the oldest of their group, shoulders tensing at the mention of his name. He looks up from his book, meeting Jongin’s eyes.  
  
“Okay,” he decides. “Don’t copy mine, though.”  
  
“I won't. I’m just stuck at some parts and I need you to help me with them.” Jongin pulls his bag, taking out some parchments and his quill. He hands over his half-done Charms essay to Junmyeon. Having Ravenclaws as his close friends makes everything easier. If it’s not for their constant nagging over homeworks, Jongin would never do any of them at all.  
  
Junmyeon starts reading the parchment, Chanyeol tries to take a look from beside him. Jongin rests his head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. It was kind of uncomfortable at first he was doing that as Kyungsoo is shorter than him, but he grew out of the discomfort and makes use of his shoulder easily now.  
  
“I heard that you are banned from Quidditch, Jongin.” Jongdae speaks from across the table, the blotch of ink still visible on his nose. Kyungsoo picks up his wand and casts a cleansing spell to wipe it away. Jongdae looks surprised. His hand flies to touch the spot Kyungsoo has just cleaned. “Thanks, Soo,” he says.  
  
Jongin groans. He throws his hands to the back of his head.“Jung is being an ass. He is conspiring with Kwon to confiscate my broom and pull my allowance to play in the pitch.” He pouts. Jongdae is looking at him with half-amused, half-pitiful face.  
  
“He has to achieve at least Exceeds Expectations for this year’s O.W.L,” Baekhyun adds. “And now he has Jung’s favorite student to tutor him on Potions.”  
  
“You have a Potions tutor?” Kyungsoo asks, turning his head to face him. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He jabs the Gryffindor in the ribs with his elbow, earning a yelp from him. He leans back to rub on the sore spot Kyungsoo jabbed him at before. Kyungsoo doesn’t even look like he is sorry for that.  
  
“I didn’t want to agree at first, but Baekhyun convinced me to take it,” he grimaces.  
  
“Of course you have to take it, we are losing our best Seeker!” Baekhyun folds his arms.  
  
Jongdae laughs. “And she has to take you out of the team right after you beat Hufflepuff. Ah, the ravens would be delighted hearing this. Finally a match where we can win!”  
  
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Jongdae,” Chanyeol speaks up, “Our team is still the best.”  
  
Junmyeon sighs. His expression is showing that he is officially done with the two people sandwiching him. “How was the tutoring? Did you find any difficulties?” He asks, looking up from Jongin’s Charms essay.  
  
He shrugs. “We only had one session, and all he told me to do was to crush snake fangs. I can’t say anything for now, but I hope he would get to  _Draught of Peace_  soon, or I will be really doomed for O.W.L.”  
  
Junmyeon is staring at him with a worried look painted on his face, but he just smiles at him. He knows Jung wouldn’t appoint a wrong student to help him along with his study.  
  
What he needs to do now is to get along with said student, and see where they could come later.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
The next Wednesday finds Jongin staring at Sir Solomon’s statue again. This time, the statue is standing on the left side of the door. Jongin squints; he is sure that the statue was on the door’s right side last week. He tries poking the statue, but finds no reaction. It is weird, Jongin thinks, if the statue  _moves_ , it would have reacted to his actions already. Sir Solomon appears to be a very still moving statue, though.  
  
Jongin doesn’t give up; he tries poking the statue again, now with his wand. When he is reaching out to poke on the statue’s leg, however, a familiar voice comes and makes him startled.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
Jongin turns around and looks at Sehun. His face is no different than last week. The Slytherin is frowning, eyebrows taut in such a way that he gets the message clearly:  _Why are you being so dumb?_  
  
“Nothing,” he clears his throat, slipping his wand back into its place under his sleeve. Turning the doorknob, Jongin tries to shrug off the feeling of Sehun’s eyes on the back of his head. It’s creepy, almost giving him goosebumps. He hurriedly lets himself in, walking into the room briskly until he notices the changes in the room. It is no longer the spare potions lab he visited last week; the cauldrons and the herbs have been replaced with empty tables and racks.  
  
“I told the professor that we won’t be needing the cauldrons yet,” says Sehun. He already chooses a table, pulling a chair to sit behind one. He takes his potions kit out of his bag, placing a small bag of shrunken ingredients on the table. “Today you will continue practicing preparing the ingredients.” He waves his wand, muttering a low enlargement charm to restore the ingredients into their original size. The ingredients are arranged into five jars; Jongin recognizes them as he has worked on those before: snake fangs, Valerian roots, Bicorn horns, Sopophorous beans, and caterpillars.  
  
“Where did you get them?” Jongin asks, squinting at the jar of dead caterpillars.  
  
“The professor is very supportive for the improvement of your potions-making skill, it seems,” he answers. He instructs Jongin to take out his own potions kit. “Crush the snake fangs into medium fine powder,and the horns into fine powder."  
  
“What?” Jongin splutters out in disbelief, only halfway taking out the mortar out of his potions kit bag. “What’s the difference between fine and medium fine? Aren’t they just the same?”  
  
Sehun sneers, “And this is exactly why you never got your potions right. Did you even read the books?”  
  
“I read the textbooks,” Jongin says, feeling offended. Well technically, he listened to Kyungsoo and Junmyeon reading some parts out loud during their study sessions. Reading is not really his thing. “I didn’t recall them mentioning the difference between fine and medium fine, though."  
  
“How did you survive Jung’s classes all this time, I don’t even want to know.” Sehun shakes his head. He already has a book taken out from his bag, now spread open on the table. It is a different one from what he brought last week. “Just do it, try make some difference between the two and we’ll see about that.”  
  
Jongin wants to protest, but he knows he couldn’t do anything about it. Instead, he grits his teeth, and starts working. He puts a handful of snake fangs on the mortar and crushes them down with his pestle.  
  
_Make some difference_ , Sehun’s words ring in his head as he pounds on the fangs, like it is easy to do. He takes a glance at the Slytherin, grossed out with his reading again. It’s a pity that he is such an ignorant git, he looks like he has soft hair that would feel nice under Jongin’s fingertips— _no._  
  
He shakes his head in attempt to clear his mind. The Quidditch ban is already making him quite stressful, he doesn’t need any other thoughts to distract him now, especially when that distracting thought is about his tutor. He concentrates on the fangs instead, now they have turned into powder like he was instructed to.  
  
Jongin sets it aside, placing them on the side of the table. Sehun seems to notice this. He looks up from his reading to watch Jongin taking a Bicorn horn from the jar and placing it on his mortar. After a while, he gets back to his book and Jongin lets out the sigh he unknowingly held the whole time Sehun watched him.  
  
After crushing so many ingredients last week, crushing Bicorn horn has becoming easier than it used to be. He finally found the right strength to crush on the horn, feeling a little used to the action. It still takes him longer to turn the horn into powder than the fangs. It is way easier to crush the fangs since they are smaller in size. Still, for the records, Jongin thinks it is the first time he manages to turn the horn into powder in less than ten minutes.  
  
He sets the horn powder not far from the fangs powder.  
  
“I’m done,” he says.  
  
Sehun puts his book aside. He stands up and walks closer to examine Jongin’s works. He takes a pinch of each powder and feels it between his fingers. Jongin is anxious; the way Sehun checks on the powder feels like a professional.  
  
“It’s not right. Do it again.” Sehun says easily without even looking at Jongin. He cleans his fingers against the table and proceeds to walk back to his chair.  
  
Jongin grits his teeth, for he can do nothing but set back to work. He grabs another handful of snake fangs and starts crushing them. He does it faster and easier than before, giving him more time to work on the horn. He crushes it carefully, thinking of what difference could ‘medium fine’ and ‘fine’ make. He decides to crush the horns a little bit more, leaving the powder softer than the fangs.  
  
He watches as Sehun checks the powders again, feeling each sample of the powder in his hand. There is a hope as the Slytherin’s face lights up, a brief smile manages to creep onto his face. He cleans his hand and walks back to his chair.  
  
“Once again,” he says, flipping another page of his book.  
  
“What did I do wrong?” he blurts out. He couldn’t accept how he works hard with the pointless crushing and Sehun just sits there with his book, looking pretty. “I crushed them differently already.”  
  
Sehun shrugs, “That’s for you to find out. Try feeling the powders yourself, and you will know.”  
  
Jongin might put his pestle down too harshly; it causes a loud noise when it meets the wooden surface of the table, surprising both him and Sehun. He feels a little bit of sorry when the other boy gives him a pointed look. He tries to ignore it.  
  
He takes some of the powder between his fingers, trying out the feelings of the different powders. It is weird how it finally struck him, how the horn powder needs to be  _finer_  than what he has. The fangs powder is okay, though. Sehun didn’t state that he has to repeat crushing both ingredients, so Jongin goes straight for the horn. He crushes on the ingredient with more strenght now that he already has the picture of what he should make.  
  
“Still lousy, but acceptable,” Sehun says as he examines the horn powder. “You would still need to practice on differentiating consistency of powders. But for now, we are going to continue on the next ingredients.” He takes the rest of the jars, opening up the lids for Jongin to see. “Chop the roots and the beans, and slice the caterpillars.”  
  
Jongin grins. He pulls at his sleeves, getting ready for more work. Now that Sehun has finally acknowledged some of his works, he is ready to prove more to the Slytherin.  
  
Somehow he doesn’t mind that he has to repeat the chopping and slicing three to four times either.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
“Let’s go, let’s go!”  
  
Jongin ignores his friend’s deep voice, booming across their dorm room. He rummages through his trunk, looking for the scarf his mother knitted for him last Christmas. It gets stuck between Herbology textbook somehow, he doesn’t even remember when and how he got it there.  
  
“Come on, Jongin. We need to save the best seats,” Chanyeol says impatiently from the door. He is already clad in his winter cloak, Ravenclaw scarf he borrowed from Kyungsoo wrapping around his neck.  
  
“Yeah, yeah. Let me just—“ Jongin pulls out the scarf with a huff, and closes down his trunk. Baekhyun makes a protesting sound against the sudden noise. He inhales deeply, wrapping the scarf around his own neck. The blue color of the scarf should be a good sign that he is rooting for Ravenclaw today.  
  
They hurry towards the pitch, bumping into other students with the same excitement as them at the Entrance Hall. No one would miss the match of Ravenclaw against Slytherin, it seems. Most of them seem to have worn blue or green attributes, only remaining some sticking into their red or yellow clothes.  
  
The cold air hits their noses as they run towards the blue stands, designated for supporters of Ravenclaw. The stands across the pitch are decorated with the color of green and silver for the other team. They are almost full already. Jongin squints his eyes; he could see some of his House mates sitting with green scarves or flags in their hands.  
  
“That’s Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says, distracting Jongin from his thoughts. “Come on.” He walks past Chanyeol, causing him to tumble and lose his balance. Jongin quickly grips on his arm before he falls down. Chanyeol could be really clumsy with his lanky arms and long legs.  
  
“Thanks,” mutters Chanyeol. He turns around and sends a sheepish smile to Jongin before following Baekhyun to their seats.  
  
Baekhyun has already seated between Kyungsoo and Junmyeon, who seems to be drowning in layers of warm clothes. It is not even December yet, Jongin muses. Chanyeol sits down next to Kyungsoo, who wears two Ravenclaw scarves around his neck. It is a wonder that he still has two even when he lends one to Chanyeol. Jongin decides to fill in the empty space on Chanyeol’s side.  
  
“It’s a good day,” Junmyeon says. He looks up at the clear sky, where the coach flies around to check the air condition. “I have a good feeling about this.”  
  
Chanyeol laughs, “What do you know about Quidditch?”  
  
Junmyeon sends him a death glare, too lazy to throw a hex. He huffs, wrapping his coat around his tiny body tighter. “Being friends with you guys for five years is more than enough, Chanyeol. I even know that the Keeper of Holyhead Harpies is Kyungsoo’s ideal type because of his long torso and legs and his flexibility—“  
  
“Hey!” Kyungsoo cuts into the conversation abruptly. His cheeks have become red, and it’s not because of the cold. “I have never said that!” He deadpans.  
  
“Your ideal type is Quidditch player?” Chanyeol asks him in disbelief. He has always thought of Kyungsoo as a reserved type who wants to, well,  _anything but Quidditch_.  
  
“He even has a poster he keeps in his trunk.” Junmyeon’s laugh is crisp, clear in the cold air. His cheeks are read from both the cold and the laughter.  
  
“Junmyeon, I swear I will hex you to death after the match just because the team needs your cheers.” Kyungsoo threatens him.  
  
Baekhyun puts his hand on Junmyeon’s shoulder, smiling innocently. “There, there, Junmyeon. If you want to go to Slytherin’s stands and support for the team, I think now is the right moment."  
  
Kyungsoo grins, his mouth forming a wide heart. He quickly hides it behind his scarf, though. Chanyeol is torn between looking at him and Junmyeon, unsure whose story he needs to chase for first. In the end, he tugs at Baekhyun’s sleeve, begging for him to tell whatever it is he knows.  
  
Jongin laughs, imagining the panic the tallest boy feels upon hearing his crush might have to do something with _someone_  in Slytherin. He nudges Kyungsoo, who rolls his eyes at him. Of course he has heard of the tale of the Ravenclaw’s ideal type; he even wasted a full month to tease him about it. Kyungsoo could be so obvious sometimes.  
  
“Oh, Junmyeon. If you want to go to the Slytherin stands though, don’t forget to bring Jongin along,” Baekhyun adds.  
  
The mention of his name attracts his attention. Jongin cranes his neck to look over Chanyeol’s shoulder. “Why are you dragging me into this?” He frowns.  
  
“Nothing!” Baekhyun squeaks, his face is flustered. He looks up as the coach blows her whistle; the balls are being released into the sky. “Look! It’s starting! Jongdae!”  
  
Jongin frowns. He feels like he should have a talk with the other about that later. Distracting himself from the curiosity, he turns to look at the pitch. All players have filled the pitch now, balls flying everywhere. He could see Jongdae hovering at the center, handling his position as a Chaser rather well by stealing the Quaffle from a Slytherin Chaser.  
  
Chanyeol lets out a loud cheer for him, shouting that he is the best captain Ravenclaw has ever had. Jongdae seems to hear this, giving a thumb in the direction of their seats after he passes the ball to another Chaser.  
  
Ravenclaw scores the first goal, creating a great atmosphere in the stands. Kyungsoo even jumps out of his seat and dances briefly with Chanyeol. It is a rare sight, even to Jongin. He laughs at his friends, taking the Omnioculars from Kyungsoo’s hand when he isn’t looking. The shorter boy doesn’t even mind.  
  
The game continues. The Slytherin team is quick to catch up; the Chasers flying in a new formation and taking over the Quaffle. Their captain, Kris Wu, is busy flying around saving his teammates from the Bludgers. He occasionally shouts for the players, directing them with the new strategy. Jongin’s eyes falls for the team’s Seeker. Even if he is banned from Quidditch, it doesn’t mean he couldn’t learn from other Seekers.  
  
The scores soon turn into 184 - 158 for Slytherin.  
  
Jongin zooms in Jongdae’s face, noticing the stress lines on the other’s face. The Seekers are now battling for the Snitch, and the only hope for Ravenclaw is to catch the golden ball. The pressure apparently spreads evenly among the team, he could see how the Chasers becoming more clumsy with the ball. This couldn’t do it.  
  
He grits his teeth. Suddenly the image of Sehun’s sneer coming into his mind. Right. The cocky Slytherin must be smiling in triumph now. He turns to zoom at the Slytherin stands, somehow looking for a certain blonde head. It shouldn’t be hard to miss, as Sehun is quite taller than most of Slytherin boys.  
  
But he couldn’t find him in any of the stands. Where the hell he could be?  
  
Groans from his friends and the blow of whistle distracts Jongin from his thoughts. He looks at the scoreboard; Slytherin has scored in yet another ball into Ravenclaw’s goal. He looks at the two Chasers in green uniforms doing high-five mid-air. Suddenly he no longer wants to watch the match.  
  
“Here.” He hands the Omnioculars to Kyungsoo, who accepts it with a frown.  
  
“Where are you going?” He asks as Jongin stands up, bowing slightly so people behind him could still see the match.  
  
“To the castle. It’s cold.”  
  
Kyungsoo doesn’t ask further, so Jongin takes that as a cue for him to leave. He rushes to the castle; the cheering sound from the match gradually lessens. He takes off the scarf once he is inside, feeling warm enough.  
  
He doesn’t actually know why he is back in the castle. He could be outside, watching how the Seeker would catch the Snitch and repeating the moment with Kyungsoo’s Omnioculars. Jongin sighs. He turns to the left, heading to the stairs that leads him to the library. He has a feeling what he is looking for would be there.  
  
The trip to the library is a quiet one. He finds the corridors deserted from students and teachers. All of them must have been outside on the pitch, watching the match. Jongin drags his feet faster, hopping to the last flight of the stairs and jogs towards the library. No one would scold him from running in the corridor when everyone is outside.  
  
He pushes the heavy mahogany door, revealing the silence of the library. There is almost no difference with the corridors he passed through. He slides in, nodding towards the librarian before he heads out to the reading section.  
  
Almost all of the tables are empty, but one is occupied.  
  
He walks up to them quietly, not wanting to disturb their moment of peace. As he shuffles closer, he could see that indeed it is Oh Sehun with his friend that Jongin notices is always with him. Baekhyun said his name once; who is it? Zatoi? Tizao?  
  
Jongin clears his throat as he stops a few feet away from Sehun’s table. That causes the blonde to look up from his parchment, noticing his presence.  
  
“Kim Jongin?” he asks, an eyebrow raised in confusion. His friend looks up as well, the same confusion written in his face. “Why are you here?”  
  
“That should be my question, though. Why are you here?” Jongin takes a step closer, feeling bold.  
  
Sehun looks mildly confused. He glances as his friend, perhaps wishing for an answer, only to find that the fellow Slytherin is at loss as he is. “Why shouldn’t I be here?”  
  
“Well, your House is having a Quidditch match at the pitch. You aren’t going to support them?”  
  
Sehun snorts. He looks back at his parchment, continuing his writing, “I don’t care about Quidditch.”  
  
“What?” Jongin tries hard not to gape. Gaping is uncool. He doesn’t want to look uncool in front of Sehun.  
  
He knows there are people in this world who aren’t as pumped up as him about the sports. His best friend is one example. Junmyeon is not crazy about Quidditch like he or Chanyeol is, and he doesn’t talk about it at all. But he still comes to watch the match to support his House. It’s all about House pride. And supporting friends.  
  
“You could watch it for the sake of your House, you know,” he says.  
  
“I know, but I don’t want to. I don’t watch Quidditch, Jongin.” Sehun insists.  
  
“Sehun hates Quidditch,” another voice adds. Two pairs of eyes are quickly trained on him. “What? I’m just stating the truth.”  
  
“Don’t intervene my war, Zitao,” Sehun hisses.  
  
Jongin frowns. He turns to look at the blonde. “What war?”  
  
“Nothing,” he groans, flustered. Sehun looks like he is torn between tearing the parchment in front of him or his friend’s mouth. “Are you only here to ask me why I’m not at the match?” He asks the Gryffindor.  
  
“Er—,” Jongin couldn’t find any reason why he tried to look for him. He was wondering about his whereabouts, yes, and there was nothing beyond that. It doesn’t sound strong enough for a reason, but Jongin doesn’t know why he is doing this either. “Yes,” he admits. “It doesn’t matter anymore, though.” He turns around, ready to flee before embarrassment washes over him.  
  
“Wait.” Sehun stands up. He grabs his bag, pulling out a book. Jongin looks at him with curiosity. “This might be useful for you.”  
  
The book is that thick and pretty light. The cover is a picture of a witch helping a little kid to stir the changing color liquid in the cauldron. Jongin frowns, it almost feels like —  
  
“It’s a potions book for children.” He leans back on the chair, folding his hands in front of his chest and, if Jongin doesn’t know better, trying not to look flustered. “It covers the basic knowledge of potion-making in a fun way. It’s easier to understand than the school’s textbook.”  
  
Jongin flips the book open, going through the pages skeptically. There are animated pictures of different gestures and ingredients used in potion-making, and the paragraphs are short enough to get straight away to the point. There is even a story on the bottom of the page which has the conversation between the witch and the little wizard from the cover. “Are you sure you are not giving this to mock me?”  
  
Sehun rolls his eyes. He taps his finger against his forearm impatiently. “No. Just read it, okay? If you learn well enough I might allow you to brew a potion next week.”  
  
The Gryffindor looks between the book in his hand and Sehun, contemplating for any remarks he could throw out. When he doesn’t find any, he shrugs his shoulder. “Okay. Next Wednesday then?”  
  
“Yeah, he nods. “See you.”  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
In the next Potions class, Professor Jung lets the to choose their own partner for potion-making. Jongin naturally pairs with Chanyeol.  
  
“I will grab the ingredients,” Jongin says absentmindedly. His eyes are running through the instruction for _Strengthening Potion_  that their textbook offers. He knows all the ingredients, and it would be easy enough to prepare them.  
  
Chanyeol nods, getting to heat the cauldron to prepare their work. In their circle of friends, Chanyeol’s skill in potions is the best among his roommates. He managed to get E last term, while Baekhyun passed with an A.  
  
Jongin comes back with the ingredients. He puts the on their table, checking the instruction one last time before he grabs his potion-kit and starts working on them. The practices he has done with Sehun comes in handy, as he now grinds on the horn with an ease, producing the perfect consistency that Sehun always nags him for.  
  
“Let me do that,” says Chanyeol when his partner is about to slice the purple thorn. Working with Jongin several times in Potions has taught him not to trust him with his knife. It is often enough what causes their potion to fail.  
  
Jongin raises his eyebrows, handing the thorn blossom to Chanyeol with no protests. He takes a look at the potion; it needs to be cooled down for five minutes before they are supposed to add in the sliced thorns. The color of the liquid in their cauldron is now paler than what the instruction tells. It looks a bit thicker that it’s supposed to be as well.  
  
He cranes his neck, looking around at other students’ liquid color. Several Ravenclaws get it right, the rest of Gryffindor just have it almost worse than what he and Chanyeol has at the moment. He spots Kyungsoo a few tables ahead of him, partnering with Junmyeon, who is reading the instructions attentively. Kyungsoo takes a few of what looks like snake fangs, and puts them in the bubbling cauldron instead of crushing them first.  
  
He frowns. The instruction clearly says that they have to crush the snake fangs first, turn them into medium-fine powder before putting them in. He tries to remember what Sehun said about difference of powder consistency makes, how it would affect the potion and how it should be done. He remembers a page of the book Sehun is lending him that explains snake fangs specifically, and —  _oh._  
  
Jongin grabs his wand, turning the cauldron’s heat up again  
  
“Jongin, what in Merlin’s beard—“ Chanyeol pauses his slicing, trying to grab Jongin’s hand from doing it.  
  
“Trust me on this,” he says, yanking his arm from Chanyeol’s grip. He stares at the liquid, hoping the theory he has just made up in his mind would be right.  
  
He conjures water from his wand to the cauldron, easing up the bubbling a bit. After stirring the potion five times clockwise to make sure the water spread well enough, he grabs two snake fangs and crushes them into fine powder instead of the medium-fine the instruction tells them. He throws in the powder and stirs some more, praying for the best.  
  
Chanyeol smacks the back of his head, scolding him for doing the unnecessary step. He turns the heat down and grumbles as he continues slicing down the thorn.  
  
Jongin sits back in his chair, letting Chanyeol to do the rest of work. The other boy wouldn’t let him touch the potion again anyway. The thing about Chanyeol is that he could be very perfectionist, which is good for him, but it scares Jongin sometimes.  
  
“Okay, it’s done,” Chanyeol says after he stirs the potion for the last time. He looks down at the liquid; it’s still paler than what it’s supposed to be, but not that pale compared to before. Jongin checks the thickness, too. He should have added more water, he notes.  
  
Jongin looks around, spotting the Professor just two tables away from them to check the works of his students. There would be enough time for him to add water, but that would cause the potion to look even paler, and Chanyeol wouldn’t let him anyway.  
  
Professor Jung finally comes to their table. He stares down at the cauldron, checking on the potion. Chanyeol and Jongin waits for his comment anxiously. At least they don’t make explosions today.  
  
“Too thick. Too pale,” he says with his deep voice that Jongin resents a lot. “Adding the fangs powder was a smart move, Mr. Kim, but you forgot to measure them back with the other ingredients. More water next time.” Jung scribbles something on his clipboard, staring a few more seconds at their potion before he moves on to the next table.  
  
Jongin lets out a deep breath, slumping back down in his chair. It is probably the first time in his life he heard his Potions Professor compliments what he does. It gives him a soft shock.  
  
Chanyeol grins, squeezing his shoulder so hard that it hurts. “Wow, I can’t believe Jung actually praised you.” He says, “I’m sorry for that, mate. If I knew that it was a  _smart move_ , I wouldn’t have stopped you from doing that.”  
  
Jongin laughs, shoving his partner away in a playful manner. He couldn’t deny the satisfactory feeling that spreads in his chest, giving up to the temptation of grinning ear to ear, matching Chanyeol’s.  
  
“Make way for the next potions master, Yeol. I’m going to be famous.”  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
As he promised, Sehun starts making Jongin brew potions for the next tutoring session. They start with the easy ones, letting the Gryffindor to learn from the very bottom of making potions.  
  
Sehun manages to get Jongin pays full attention at him; whether it’s explaining the use of an ingredient or demonstrating how a step should be done. Jongin would ask one or two questions between the explanation, and Sehun is smart enough to answer every one of them. They work well together, despite the snarky comments they throw to each other every while and then.  
  
Jongin adds a sprinkle of Rosemary to the potion he is brewing, let them simmer in before he brings his wand to stir them anti-clockwise like Sehun has suggested before. The Slytherin is appeared bored, no book opened in front of him or parchment that needs to be written. He has stopped busying himself with school work since their fifth meeting, opting to annoy Jongin with his potions instead.  
  
The awkward silence between them that used to grow in the early meetings have been replaced by something comfortable instead. It makes Jongin feels happy.  
  
He discovers that Sehun is not much of an ignorant boy, that he could make jokes with a straight face yet still making Jongin laugh at it. Sehun told him of his best friend Huang Zitao who couldn’t sleep without his cat pet Candy, even though it makes Sehun sneeze sometimes. His own pet is an eagle owl named Hermes, a gift from his father on his first year.  
  
He also learns that despite Sehun comes from a pure-blood family that lives in a mansion in an unplottable location, he still keeps up with Muggle things and falls in love with video games, which Jongin could so much relate.  
  
It almost feels like they are friends—almost like he and Kyungsoo is—and Jongin finds himself wanting to learn so much more about Sehun. The Slytherin is like a puzzle; Jongin couldn’t wait to put the pieces and discover the whole picture of him.  
  
“Why do you learn so much about potions?” He decides to ask, breaking the stretching silence between them. It startles Sehun from dozing off into sleep.  
  
He rubs his eye, blinks a few times to make sure they are wide open. He peers at Jongin’s potion to make sure that he has been following the instruction well. When he feels satisfied enough, he leans back in his seat, finding another comfortable position for him. “I want to be a potion master,” answers him. “Jung promised me that he would take me under his wings if I agreed to tutor you. I need his signature to help me becoming a potion master.”  
  
“That is rare,” Jongin comments. He carefully adds in the next ingredient and lowers down the heat. He needs to wait fifteen minutes before he has to spell the right charm and finish the potion. “Is there any specific reason for that?”  
  
“Not that you should know of.” Sehun shrugs. He takes off the protecting charm that he casted earlier around the cauldron in order to protect them from any explosion that Jongin still occasionally make during their lesson. “What do you want to be after graduating?”  
  
“Professional Quidditch. I thought that’s obvious,” he answers, checking the potion once again before he sits down. He turns to look at Sehun, who is giving him this look that he always gives whenever Jongin brings up Quidditch.  
  
“It is.” Sehun looks down instead, breaking off their contact. “I just thought that maybe you could be thinking of something else. Why is Quidditch so important for you, anyway?”  
  
“It runs in the family,” he says. “We hold small matches at Christmas, and my father is a big fan of Puddlemere United.”  
  
Sehun hums, still not meeting Jongin’s eyes. He is always like this whenever Jongin mentions Quidditch. It’s like ‘Quidditch’ is a taboo word for him, bringing him down.  
  
“Zitao said that you hate Quidditch.” Jongin says, recalling that one time he encountered the two in the library. “Is that true?”  
  
“Yeah,” Sehun replies shortly.  
  
“Is that why you resented me a lot when you learnt I play Quidditch?”  
  
Sehun taps on the table quietly. “Maybe.”  
  
“Why? Why do you hate Quidditch?”  
  
Sehun’s eyes flicker up, finally meeting his own. The intensity in his gaze surprises him. “Because of my family, too.” He says. He gets up, and walks to the cauldron to check on the potion again.  
  
_End of discussion_ , Jongin could hear in his silence. There are so much more of him that he wants to find out. But even by one month knowing him, Jongin understands that it’s his cue for silence.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
For some reason, Jongin feels brave enough to bring his Herbology essay to their next meeting. He slept over the study session arranged with the Ravenclaw and didn’t get to start on his essay yet. It is due tomorrow, and he doesn’t want to disappoint the professor because she has always been nice to him.  
  
“Help me on this,” he says, spreading his parchment on the table instead of opening up his potion-kit. Sehun frowns. He doesn’t bring his bag again today. He certainly doesn’t expect that coming from him.  
  
“What is that?”  
  
“I need to make essay on Star Grass.”  
  
He raises his eyebrows, “And why do you think I would help you?”  
  
“Because you are a potion-genius, and Star Grass is actually a basic ingredient to make pain relief potions.” He explains, frowning when he sees Sehun has this ridiculous expression directed at him. “What? I read the book you lent me, you know.”  
  
“I’m tutoring Potions, not Herbology.”  
  
“It wouldn’t hurt to help me just a bit right, Sehun? I promise I won’t make any explosions for today’s potion. I will even set up the protecting charm myself.” He puts up his best pleading face, the one with slight pout and all.  
  
Sehun gives up. He shifts closer to Jongin, arm pressing against his. Warm, Jongin thinks. Unlike his appearance, Sehun is actually warm. “It is actually to soothe injuries, if you really read that book,” he says, nudging Jongin’s arm lightly. “It also relieves muscle pain specifically.” He stops, realizing how the other is staring at him instead of writing down his essay. His cheeks feel a little bit warmer. “Why aren’t you writing?”  
  
“Oh, right,” Jongin starts to write on the parchment. “Where is it from?”  
  
“It is natively from Africa, but it could be grown anywhere now. Professor has some in the greenhouse as well. It’s the temperature that matters.”  
  
“Right.” He writes down the information diligently. He always adores Sehun for being smart. How the other boy manages to store so many information in his small head always amazes him. He looks up at the Slytherin, “And then? Are they always green like most of the grasses or —“  
  
He suddenly realizes how Sehun’s face is suddenly so close to his. The other boy is leaning on his shoulder, peering down at his work, but all he thinks about is the warmth breath that Sehun blows gently against his cheek. He blinks, trying to shrug it off just as Sehun catches his eyes. The slight widening of his eyes tells Jongin that he is suddenly aware of the closeness, too.  
  
“Darker as they grow,” Sehun says lowly, sending shivers to Jongin’s body. “It’s best to pick them when they are fresh green.”  
  
It is weird how they still hold the position even after Sehun answers the question. Jongin is supposed to pull back and go back to his writing, but he doesn’t want to lose this war. He doesn’t want to be the one giving up.  
  
“Right,” he says, still staring at Sehun’s eyes. He swears it is affection that he sees in the other’s eyes, perhaps with a little bit of lust, too. Whatever it is he feels for Sehun, perhaps the other boy is having it, too. And that excites Jongin. “Anything else?”  
  
Sehun smiles slyly. “No,” he says. “Just write it down.” He pulls himself back, putting more distance between him and Jongin.  
  
_No_ , Jongin tries to tell himself, it doesn’t disappoint him in the slightest.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
It is unbelievable how fast Jongin grows accustomed to Sehun’s companion. The dread he used to have as Tuesdays change into Wednesdays is no longer there. In fact, he is a little bit more than excited to have their Wednesday sessions.  
  
He slouches down on the couch near the big window in the Common Room, enjoying the warmth coming off from the fireplace. It is only 5 pm; the professor let the class end earlier than usual and that earned ecstatic squeals from the students. He has two hours before he has to go the their usual place, and a nap sounds good.  
  
“Wake up, lazyass.”  
  
A familiar voice rings in his ears just when he is about to doze off into dreamland. He opens one of his eyes, not surprised to see Chanyeol and Baekhyun looming over him, clad in their Quidditch outfits.  
  
Their team is going to have a practice today, as the two has enthusiastically discussed in both breakfast and dinner yesterday. Jongin has wanted to join in the conversation, too, but he feels left out with the discussion. It is not something he is allowed to be excited anymore.  
  
“Have fun at practice,” he says half-heartedly, faking a yawn that he thought would be convincing enough for his friends to leave him alone.  
  
Chanyeol smirks, “You are coming with us, Jongin.”  
  
Jongin scoffs, crossing his arms across his chest in annoyance. “Hello? Banned from Quidditch, remember?” And he wonders just how stupid his friends could get.  
  
“Banned from playing, yes, but not banned from planning the strategy with us,” says Baekhyun. “Come on, we need the Genius’ brain to help us winning the next match with Ravenclaw.”  
  
“Right. We don’t want Jongdae to give us his annoying grin because we lose to his team.” Chanyeol adds. His face is very convincing that he is saying that as a captain. “You’re still part of the team, you know.”  
  
They must have been hanging around each other for too long, because it seems that Chanyeol and Baekhyun know exactly how to persuade Jongin into doing something. It sucks. Jongin sits right up, staring up at his friends deeply before he gives up.  
  
“Okay,” he says, and Chanyeol and Baekhyun immediately go for a high-five. Jongin shakes his head, telling himself that he is only doing this because he is a responsible team member, and not because his fingers have been twitching, suffering from not playing for a long time.  
  
The thing about Jongin and Quidditch is that they could be inseparable sometimes.  
  
Jongin watches his friends fly over the pitch, trying out the new strategy they have just brainstormed. He wants to be up there, flying with them, but he couldn’t. So he dedicates himself to check each position instead. He casts a  _Sonorus_ , letting his voice gets louder and gives instruction to each player.  
  
It is okay like this too, he thinks. Perhaps he could be a coach sometimes in the future, if he couldn’t be a player forever. But first he needs to be a Star Seeker of a professional team, perhaps for Chudley Cannons because it’s his favorite.  
  
Kang Seulgi, the Chaser of their team, lands gracefully next to him. “How was it?” She asks, almost out of breath. Jongin gets jealous of that, the feeling when you have your breath running out after flying for hours.  
  
“You still need to smoothen your maneuver and match it with Amber's,” he explains, looking at his notes. “Other than that, they are all good.” Seulgi smiles at him, satisfied but determined at the same time.  
  
“Are you, uh, done with the potions class thing?”  
  
Jongin blinks. Yes. Of course he still has that potions class thing, how could he forget?  
  
“What time is it?” He asks, hoping that perhaps despite the obvious darkening sky, he is still not late to his tutoring session with Sehun.  
  
Seulgi pulls her wand, casting a  _Tempus_  and watches as the numbers start to form. “Twenty to eight,” she says, even when Jongin could see the time himself. He has lost forty minutes he promised Sehun.  
  
“Shit!” He curses out loud, startling the Chaser. “Sorry—look, I have to go. Good luck with everything, okay.” And just like that, he runs to the castle, hoping that Sehun is still at the room, reading something he brings with him, and then scolds him a little when Jongin shows up.  
  
He stops in front of the classroom’s door, trying to catch his breath. His hand hover around the knob, hesitating. The room sounds quiet from outside, but there isn’t many inside that would make enough noises. He really hopes that Sehun would be there at least. The apologize he prepared when he ran all the way to the classroom is on the tip of his tongue, ready to be rolled out.  
  
Jongin pushes the door open.  
  
“Look, I’m sorry—“ He pauses once he realizes that there is no one in the classroom. Sehun is not there. He must have been waiting for too long.  
  
Jongin curses under his breath, making a loud noise when he closes the door and surprises few portraits hanging in the corridor. They whisper something like ‘rude boy’, but he doesn’t mind them. He runs to the only place he has in mind, Sehun is probably there, waiting for him out of his boredom.  
  
As he turns at the corridor that would lead him to the library, he meets a familiar face.  
  
“What are you doing here?” Kyungsoo asks, the Prefect badge he pinned on his shirt collar glints under the lights.  
  
“I need to go to the library,” he explains shortly. He wishes to get away from his best friend as soon as possible. “I need to find Sehun.”  
  
“I just came from the library, but I didn’t see Sehun there.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Yeah. I checked the students myself.”  
  
Jongin groans. He brings up his palms and buries his face in them. Sehun is not in the classroom, and not in the library either. Where could the Slytherin be?  
  
“What’s wrong?” Kyungsoo asks, a hint of worry in his voice. Despite him looking the most distant person in their circle, Kyungsoo could actually be the caring one. That’s why their friendship works out.  
  
“I screwed up, Soo,” he tugs on his own hair, feeling depressed. He tells the other boy about what happened, how he gave up into the temptation of Quidditch and forgot about his session with Sehun.  
  
Kyungsoo stares at him with pity, but he doesn’t pat his shoulder or anything. “Try looking in his dorm?” He suggests.  
  
“Oh, right. Thanks, Soo.”  
  
Jongin runs down the stairs, ignoring Kyungsoo’s warning about the school’s rule number twelve that mentions that students are not allowed to run in the castle. But he is in an emergency situation, and the castle sure would understand that.  
  
He has never been to the Dungeon before. He has seen some Slytherin students taking the stairs that would lead there, but he doesn’t know where and how the Dungeon actually look like. It sounds serious and spooky, the kind that would get Junmyeon’s eyebrows taut in such expression. Perhaps it isn’t like that at all, perhaps it’s only named that to honor its creepy founder Salazar Slytherin. Well, snakes tend to live in darkness.  
  
He followed two Slytherin students that seem to be going in the direction of the Dungeon as well closely.  
  
The Dungeon looks pretty intimidating. The air around the floor is nothing like what they have at the Tower. He doesn’t know the password, and he fails to eavesdrop the students that were going in. He considers knocking, but that feels weird. Unlike the Gryffindor Tower, there is no portrait outside the door that he could talk to coax them opening the door.  
  
“Kim Jongin?”  
  
It is Wu Kris, the captain of Slytherin Quidditch team. He looks even taller from upclose, much more taller than he is. The aura around him is no joke. He looks like an heir from a very important pure-blood family. He probably really is.  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“What are you doing here?” He asks suspiciously.  
  
“I’m looking for Sehun.” He says. “I think he might be inside."  
  
Kris Wu raises his eyebrows. “I’ll get him for you.”  
  
“Thanks.” Jongin sighs in relief. He watches as Kris Wu whispers the password and the door opens up for him. He hesitates at the door, looking like he is considering inviting Jongin in, but he ends up heading into the common room by himself.  
  
Sehun comes out from the door. He doesn’t look different than usual, but there is an obvious hurt in his face that makes Jongin’s heart aches. He really didn’t mean to ditch Sehun; he actually was looking forward for their session. But how could he tell the other about this without hinting that he might like him more than he should be?  
  
“Sehun, I’m—“  
  
“Where were you?” Sehun asks. He sounds tired, mostly. Though his face fails to conceal the annoyance. It worries Jongin.  
  
“Chanyeol asked me to help with Quidditch practice.” He wants to say more, wants to explain how he actually looked forward to their meeting before the practice distracted him. He wants to blame Chanyeol and Baekhyun and the rest of the team but it’s partially his own fault too for gotten too absorbed with it.  
  
Sehun’s face turns sour; twenty shades more sour than the first time he got him angry and leaving. Then it struck Jongin, how he has made a big trouble with the other boy.  
  
“So it’s all about Quidditch?” Sehun has his arms crossed in front of his chest, the only thing that holding him back from punching Jongin’s jaw, it seems. “It’s always about Quidditch for you, right? All of this—all of it is about Quidditch, isn’t it?”  
  
Jongin frowns. He is confused, but scared, too. He is used to the quiet and snarky Sehun he often sees during sessions, but he is not used to this Sehun, angry but holding back. Baekhyun yelled at him for stealing his socks, Kyungsoo hit him with a hex for copying his essay. He is used to actions.  
  
“What do you mean?” He asks.  
  
Sehun shakes his head. He appears to be trying to calm himself down. He brings up his hand, pushing the blond strands of hair back. Jongin never sees him in this state before. “I thought you fell asleep or something. How stupid of me for not realizing that it’s  _Quidditch_.” He spits on the last word like it’s a dirty rat.  
  
“Hey,” Jongin takes a step forward. Sehun flinches at it, but he doesn’t step back. “What is it about?"  
  
He looks up, meeting Jongin’s eyes, and there is nothing but calm fire there. “Go back, Jongin. I’m not in the mood for this.”  
  
“Why?” Jongin couldn’t help but hold the conversation. He couldn’t let it end like this. He needs to know. “Is it because what I was doing instead of studying with you was actually a Quidditch practice which involves Quidditch balls and Quidditch rules?” Somehow he feels angry, too. He doesn’t entirely like how Sehun pronounced  _Quidditch_.  
  
“What do you know about it?” Sehun snarls.  
  
It offends Jongin straight in the chest. “Why are you so childish about it? So what if I practiced Quidditch instead of falling asleep? What difference would it make? Only I would be more productive doing Quidditch, but why do you refuse to see that?” He feels furious. The distaste building up in his chest pushes him to let them all through. He just wants Sehun to accept Quidditch, to accept what he likes, to accept what he is. “Stop letting your family making you blind, Sehun."  
  
“Don’t talk like you know my family.” He says with a cold tone.  
  
“Well, I know for one that they are the reason why you hate Quidditch.”  
  
Sehun grits his teeth. “Why is Quidditch such a big deal for you? I don’t get it why people like you act like it’s something to be proud of. It’s barbaric and stupid game!”  
  
“Stop saying it like it’s such a low thing!” Jongin shouts. He couldn’t accept to hear such words being said about his favorite sport. “I don’t know about your family but I know that it’s a shame for them to raise a narrow-minded son like you!”  
  
Sehun pulls out his wand. “Watch your mouth, Kim Jongin!” He throws a hex in Jongin’s direction with a swift movement. The Gryffindor manages to duck away in time. He pulls out his wand as well.  
  
“What did they do to corrupt your mind, eh, Sehun?” Jongin positions his wand at ready. “Did they tell you that friending half-bloods is low, too? Is that why you only have Zitao as your friend, or that’s just society got fed up with your arrogant self?”  
  
“Shut up!”  
  
Before Jongin could react, a stream of light comes from the tip of Sehun’s wand and hits him straight in the chest, throwing him across the corridor. His back bumps against the damp brick wall. He falls face-first to the stone floor. Groaning, he slowly stands up despite the pain all over his torso.  
  
Sehun is staring down at him coldly. His wand is still pointed at him.  
  
“Is this what you want the entire time? To fight with me?” Jongin struggles. He could taste the tangy bitterness at the corner of his mouth. “I guess all of this is pointless then.”  
  
Sehun’s mouth forms another spell, but Jongin is quicker to hit him with a Stinging hex. The Slytherin’s wand is thrown away, his hand unable to hold it. Jongin surges forward, pushing his body against Sehun’s and backs him against the wall. There is a loud thud that comes from Sehun’s head hitting the wall.  
  
The Slytherin groans. He pushes Jongin off with a strength he doesn’t know Sehun is possessing.  
  
“Fuck you,” Sehun spits.  
  
A punch comes to Jongin’s left cheek, causing him to feel dizzy. Another comes to his right, and then one to his jaw. He struggles, kicking Sehun in the shin in revenge. It causes the other boy to back away. Jongin grabs him by his shirt. He notices how Sehun is a little bit taller than him. He brings his knee to Sehun’s stomach, earning a yell from the other boy.  
  
“No. Fuck  _you_!” Jongin shouts as he lands another kick.  
  
Sehun grabs his shirt, too, attempting to throw him back. They end up fighting on the floor, punches thrown blindly as they struggle to bring each other down.  
  
“Stop, you two!”  
  
Sehun is suddenly being pulled back by Kris and Zitao. He struggles in their arms, but Sehun is bony compared to the two. Jongin sits right up, and then it hits him how sad Sehun looks at the moment. He looks bad. His face is wounded from the punches Jongin threw at him.  
  
Jongin wants to reach out for him and apologize for causing so much wound on him, and maybe make everything alright again.  
  
Then someone drags him from the floor. He looks up to see blurry pictures of Chanyeol and Junmyeon.  
  
“Why are you two here?” He asks in a hoarse voice. The damage of the punch Sehun laid on his neck seems worse than he thought it was.  
  
“I happen to be the prefect Kris contacted when he found out about you two,” Junmyeon says. He looks disappointed with Jongin.  
  
Jongin looks back at Sehun who has his head hung low, both of his arms are still strained by the two Slytherins. He stares at the blonde head, waiting. Then Sehun’s head lifts up, but his eyes are down. He refuses to look at Jongin.  
  
“Go away, Jongin. I don’t want to see you again.” He says. His voice is raspy.  
  
He lets himself free from the grasps and walks towards the door. Zitao follows him closely.  
  
“Junmyeon,” Kris calls. The way Junmyeon’s name rolls out of his tongue is easy, like he has been saying it a lot of times. Jongin is unsure how he notices, but perhaps Chanyeol notices that as well. “This wouldn’t be heard by the teachers.”  
  
“Yes. Please take care of Sehun.” Junmyeon replies. It is a silent promise between the two that they wouldn’t bring Sehun and Jongin to the infirmary for the worse.  
  
Kris nods. “See you tomorrow.” He walks to the door and gets in, leaving the three outside.  
  
Junmyeon huffs. He looks at Chanyeol. “May I knock him out first and then you can levitate him to the dorm?”  
  
“Sure,” Chanyeol replies, like Jongin isn’t there at all to help in deciding.  
  
“I’m sorry, Jongin.” Is the last thing Jongin hears before a spell hits him out of his consciousness.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
It takes Jongin three days to give up to the temptation and start to steal glances over the Slytherin tables on both breakfasts and dinners. Spotting Sehun is an easy task, his blond hair gives it away. Baekhyun nudges him softly, telling him that it’s rude to stare. He knows, but he thinks that it’s rude too how Sehun isn’t staring back at him.  
  
It takes Jongin a week to finally admits to his friends that he misses Sehun. He misses their times together. Two hours a week is enough for Jongin to carve a special cave in his heart for Sehun. The cave is now empty, not being resided. It feels hollow.  
  
It takes Jongin a whole of the following week until he writes his first apology letter. He ties it to Romeo and tells him not to comeback without a reply. But that’s how Romeo always comes back for him; the little scroll untouched.  
  
Perhaps he should stop pursuing his friendship and fall back into his usual activities instead.  
  
He goes to class with Baekhyun and Chanyeol. They are careful enough not to mention about Sehun in front of him. They change routes when they see Sehun in their way, even if he’s still afar. They don’t mention this to Jongin, but he knows. They want him to avoid Sehun at all costs.  
  
The Ravenclaw Trio pay extra attention to him when they study together. They are now being cautious for the Slytehrin’s presence too. The fact that Sehun often spends his time in the library makes them being more careful to choose the table for their study sessions. They don’t talk about it, but Jongin knows.  
  
Chanyeol keeps asking him to ask to Quidditch practice. His opinion is valuable in the team. The match is getting closer, and with the hints Jongdae drops in their study sessions, it looks like the Ravenclaw team is getting more competitive this time. Chanyeol wouldn’t want to lose, and Jongin knows this about his best friend the most. He agrees to help, even if it’s still painful to stay on the ground watching his teammates flying. He knows that Chanyeol is doing this to help him distracting himself from Sehun as well.  
  
He is touched by his friends’ effort to cheer him up. But even though he naturally knows he really should avoid Sehun, there is a part of himself that secretly still yearns for him.  
  
He surprisingly finds himself still going to the classroom. He doesn’t forget his promise to Professor Kwon, and he still wants his broom back. The absence of Sehun makes things harder, but Jongin copes. It feels empty whenever his potion explodes and there’s no one to laugh over the mess that gets on to him.  
  
He imagines Sehun watches him, telling him that he would never get it right with a smirk that Jongin would very much like to kiss away.  _Keep going_ , he imagines Sehun would say, and Jongin does.  
  
He starts over.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
Jongin gets on the Hogwarts Express for the Christmas break. He feels excited enough to push Baekhyun out of his way and rush to the first empty compartment he finds. Baekhyun complains and whines at him when he gets in after Chanyeol and Jongdae, but he just laughs it off. He presses his hand to the freezing glass, creating a steam with his breath to squint and look outside.  
  
His family has planned a trip to France a few days before Christmas. Jongin couldn’t say no. Besides, going away from the school means he could play Quidditch with his family. He would have to make up excuses to his dad for not having his broom, but he would deal with it later. The first thing he wrote in the letter he sent to his father is to ask if he could play Quidditch despite the cold weather.  
  
The train makes noises, and then it starts to move.  
  
“I’m going to look for the treats trolley,” he says to his friends. He opens the compartment door, looking around the corridor to find the Honeydukes Express trolley. He has been craving for sweets since he got onto the train. Closing the door behind him, he decides to walk left.  
  
He finds the trolley after walking through three cars, a handful of students already surrounded it. He finds Oh Sehun, too.  
  
Jongin walks closer slowly. He doesn’t want Sehun to be suddenly aware of him and gets things awkward between them. By the time he reaches the cart, the Slytherin notices him. The smile that decorated his face quickly fades away.  
  
“Can I have some Bertie Bott’s and Chocolate Frogs, please?” He asks the witch. He takes some Liquorice Wands and Pumpkin Pasties as well, reminded of how much of sweettooths his friends are. He steals a glance at the Slytherin who has some treats in his hands as well.  
  
He takes out his money before Sehun could fish out his cash. “I will pay for both of us.” The trolley witch smiles and takes the money. It is enough to cover their expenses. She leaves, pushing the cart with her.  
  
Jongin is staring at his the ones he has in his hands, counting the Chocolate Frog packs when a handful of cash is being thrusted to his chest. He looks up to see Sehun’s angry face. “Take it back. I’m treating you.” He says carefully.  
  
“I have my own money,” Sehun says stubbornly.  
  
“I know, Sehun.” He says with a patience, though his heart beats fast in anxiety. “Is it wrong too to treat a friend?”  
  
Sehun stays silent. Jongin is afraid he wouldn’t take back his money, but he does. “Get lost, Jongin.” he hisses before he turns around and stalks off to his compartment.  
  
Jongin finds himself smiling all the way back to his own. The thing is he is already lost, in his own feelings for Sehun.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
After contemplating for a long time, Jongin decides to buy a Christmas present for Sehun. He wants to get to the other’s nice end, and he doesn’t think avoiding him could lead him to that.  
  
He stumbles upon a shop that sells vintage things during the family trip to France. There is a small potions pouch made from dragon-hide skin that’s polished so it shines under the sun. It would be useful for Sehun to carry his potions everywhere when he gets to be a Potions Master later.  
  
He gives the task of delivery to Romeo. The owl hoots softly as Jongin runs another check over the package so it would arrive safely. He gives the address of Sehun’s house to the owl, making sure he gets it. Romeo pecks on his cheek, asking for a treat before he takes off for the long flight.  
  
He watches the brown owl takes his leave, flying through the falling snow. He hopes that at least Sehun would take it. No one would refuse a gift, right?  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
By the start of January he comes back to school, meeting his friends and sharing stories and snacks at the compartment.  
  
Romeo has came back two days after Christmas, bringing him nothing but a short note of ‘ _Thank you. OSH_ ’ It could mean nothing, but it means everything to Jongin. It lifts up his mood for the rest of his holiday.  
  
He has to say that he looks forward to meet Sehun. The response he received for his Christmas present lights a new hope in his heart. He talked to Kyungsoo about this, but the Ravenclaw told him to back off a bit. Sehun responding is a pleasant sign, but Jongin shouldn’t push it.  
  
He decided to agree and get along with the plan. During first week of school, he tries his best not to stare at the long table that Slytherin students occupy. If Sehun wants his space, Jongin would give it to him. But he doesn’t turn around whenever he encounters the blonde at the corridors anymore.  
  
“Hey,” he greets him instead, giving him a small nod and a smile. Sehun wouldn’t respond, but that’s okay with Jongin. He isn’t expecting the Slytherin to respond anyway, even if he wants him to. He falls back into the conversation with his friends and continues walking along the corridor.  
  
He needs Sehun to know that he wants to be friends with him. He wants them to go back into what they were; to have conversations and pointless laughters. He wants Sehun to understand that he misses him.  
  
Jongin gets back into the routine he did before Christmas break. He studies with the Ravenclaws twice a week, finding it more difficult to do his homework without having friends around him. He would either fall asleep or get distracted by something else. The Ravenclaws’s presence keeps him on track. They keep nagging at him to continue working on his essays.  
  
He also helps the team for the match happening in two weeks, making sure the players go according to plan. Before the match ends, he would excuse himself and slip into the classroom they use to have their sessions. Chanyeol has allowed this. He knows that going to the classroom has been a priority for Jongin.  
  
With the determination to get his broom back, he starts practicing brewing  _Draught of Peace_  that Jung said would be the main problem of Potions O.W.L. Somewhere along the way, he has found that potion-making is sort of fun. And even though Jongin doesn’t really need Potions for his career, he enjoys doing it. Besides, he wants to play Quidditch back badly.  
  
Today too, he rushes back from the pitch. He takes a different route around the castle, taking his time. He would try brewing the draught again today, as what he made previously has failed on the last step. He has managed to avoid explosions he suffered from the first trys, but the color is still not right.  
  
He pushes on the door singing lowly to the last year’s Quidditch World Cup theme song. The song has cheerful tone, and he is in a good mood.  
  
When he opens the door - quiet forcefully to match the song’s climax, he is surprised to see someone already occupying the table he usually uses.  
  
It doesn’t take a genius for him to know that it’s Sehun, especially when his heart has always ached for the other’s presence lately. Jongin doesn’t know what to do.  
  
Sehun has certainly notices his arrival due to his rather grand entrance to the classroom - it embarrasses Jongin somehow. The blond stares at him from the table. The amusement on his face is not well hidden. Jongin has really missed him.  
  
“Hi. Didn’t expect to see you here,” Jongin says. He closes the door with an awkwardness, fluster creeping up his face. “Sorry for the, uh, intrusion. I’m usually alone.”  
  
Sehun holds up a hand. Jongin notices how he has cut his hair shorter, showing more of the strong lines of his face. He looks much more handsome like this. “No, I  _am_  sorry for the intrusion.”  
  
“You’re always welcomed here.” He says. He approaches the table with careful steps, eyes locking on the blonde. He is afraid he would disappear if he looks away.  
  
“I see you brewed the potions perfectly without me,” says Sehun. His head gestured to the filled bottles arranged at a rack at the corner of the room.  
  
Jongin tries hard not to blush at the compliment. “I still have to pass on Potions, and I found the process quite fun.” He shrugs. “I’m still working on the Draught of Peace, though.” He finds it quite difficult to talk now that the Slytherin is here. He takes out his potion-kit and lay it down on the table. Inhaling deeply to ease his nervousness, he starts to work on the potion.  
  
“Thanks for the gift, by the way. Your owl looked so tired so I let him sleep with Hermes for a night. He went through a long journey.” Sehun starts, watching how Jongin works on the potion.  
  
He nods.“So that’s why he came home feeling rather good. He didn’t ask for more treats when he got home.”  
  
“You have a nice owl.”  
  
“Yeah. I’m glad I found him.”  
  
Silence engulfs them again. It’s not the comforting one like the ones they shared before the incident happened. He almost could hear the train of thoughts that’s running in Sehun’s head. Though he knows better than to ask him to spill them, Sehun would tell him whenever he’s ready. Jongin is not going to push him, like he has promised to Kyungsoo.  
  
He adds the next ingredients into the bubbling liquid, watching how it turns into a shade of turquoise. He needs to wait for it to simmer down and change color to purple. The last time he did it, it was blue instead of purple.  
  
Jongin backs away from the cauldron to take a break. He wipes off the trace of sweat that runs off his forehead.  
  
“Here.” Sehun hands out a small red box with golden ribbon wrapped around it to him. “I’m sorry it’s late."  
  
“What’s this?” he asks, although he has a vague feeling that he knows what it is.  
  
“Your Christmas present. It’s not anything fancy, though.” He shrugs.  
  
“You don’t have to obliged to buy me one, you know. I wasn’t hoping for anything.” Jongin says, unwrapping the gift.  
  
“I know, I want to.”  
  
He raises an eyebrow at Sehun and opens up the box. It’s a Snitch. He takes it out, watching it fluttering its wings in his hand in awe.  
  
“It’s a practice Snitch. It would recognize your touch and respond to you when you call to it.” Sehun explains.  
  
“I know. Professional Seekers have this.” Jongin looks up at Sehun, grinning. “Thank you."  
  
“I need to talk to you,” says Sehun in a soft tone. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“For what?” He asks, because he needs to know what is Sehun sorry for.  
  
“Everything. For not trusting you, mostly.”  
  
Jongin shrugs. “Trust is hard to gain.”  
  
“You are a lot like my mother. Quidditch was her world, too. She was pursuing her dream to be a professional player, too. My father works at the Ministry, and he supports her. I grew up listening to her stories of practices and how she looked forward to have a position in the team.”  
  
“There was a match, but the weather wasn’t very good. I sat at the vip stand with my father. It was raining hard I could barely see anything. My father kept shouting at the referee to stop the match. But you know, Quidditch doesn’t stop unless the captains from both team agree to do so.”  
  
“What happened?” Jongin asks.  
  
“She fell. Her left leg is injured. Dead. Now even if she’s alive, her soul isn’t.” “My mother keeps staying in her room for years, only coming out when she’s needed to. I lost my mother for Quidditch, Jongin. I hate it for taking my mother’s soul away.”  
  
_Beep! Beep!_  
  
Jongin is startled by the alarm he set for his potion. Sehun is startled too. He looks away to hide his flustered face. Jongin sighs as he continues with adding the next ingredients; the alarm was such a giveaway for both him and Sehun. It was a perfect mood already, and the alarm had to ruin it.  
  
The potion turns orange as it’s supposed to be, and suddenly Jongin has hopes. He adds more powdered porcupine quills into the cauldron and prays for it to be the perfect white he aims for. Sehun is waiting too; he could feel the Slytherin’s eyes on the cauldron, sometimes on his face.  
  
Then the potion turns white like it’s supposed to be. Jongin yells in triumph, feeling accomplished. He hops around aimlessly, then to Sehun, who is grinning widely, and pulls him into a hug.  
  
“I did it! I did it!” He shakes Sehun’s shoulder excitedly, making the other burst into laughter. Jongin has missed the sound so much. He wants to bottle it into a jar so he could listen to it whenever he wants. Just in case he loses him again.  
  
“You did it,” Sehun says, pulling back from the hug. The smile he gives to Jongin is full of fondness and adoration.  
  
Jongin wonders if it’s normal to fall for a smile. “Yeah,” he says. “I’m sorry for your mum.”  
  
Sehun shrugs. “It happened. Mother seemed better when I saw her at Christmas, but I still can’t shrug off the strong dislike I feel for Quidditch.” His shoulders tense up again at the thought. “I know it’s childish, I just can’t seem to—“  
  
“Hey, it’s okay. Thanks for sharing with me.” Jongin takes Sehun’s trembling hands. They are cold, Jongin notes. He brings them up and kisses on each knuckles, sharing the warmth he desperately wants to shower the other boy with. “I can imagine my loved one turning on me.” He murmurs against the cold skin.  
  
“Jongin.”  
  
He looks up, locking up his gaze with Sehun’s. “So trust me with this one, okay? Don’t turn on me, Sehun. Don’t shut me up from your world.”  
  
Sehun’s smile turns sad. “I was starting to like you, back then. I knew you like Quidditch but I was so happy to keep you on the ground. Then you didn’t turn up for one day, imagine how I felt when I found out you were at the pitch,” he says softly. Jongin reaches out to stroke his cheek, soothing his nerves down. “I was so angry at myself. How could I think that I could keep you? You still have your wings, and while you’re caged, you could fly away sometimes. The thought of losing you scared me, so I decided to let you go. I let you fly away. But what I got? I got you flying around me instead.” Sehun chuckles, but it’s empty. Jongin’s heart lurches at the sound. “So much for trying to move on.”  
  
“Sehun, I’m not your mother.” Jongin states.  
  
Sehun lowers his eyes, feeling down. He lets Jongin’s hand lingers on his cheek, keeping him in place.“I know, Jongin. I’m so sorry I was so stupid.”  
  
“No, you weren’t stupid.” He pauses. How to say this properly again? “Fly with me,” he adds instead. That gets Sehun looking right back up at him, surprise in his eyes. “I want you to fly with me, so you could see what gets me love flying in the first place. I want to share the feelings with you.”  
  
Sehun gapes at him. Suddenly he finds it difficult to produce coherent words. “Jongin, are you saying—“  
  
“Be my boyfriend, Sehun. Let’s fly together.”  
  
“Yes.” The answer comes without hesitation. “Take me with you.” The simple words releases the clench around Jongin’s chest. He feels like he could breathe better now. It’s simply joy.  
  
Jongin surges up, closing the gap between them. He kisses Sehun, softly at first, assuring the other of his presence. Then Sehun parts his lips slightly, letting out a soft sigh. It sends a wave of heat through Jongin. He smiles, sliding his tongue against Sehun’s until both of them are breathless.  
  
When they part, Sehun murmurs against his lips, “If you fall down, I will catch you. I will the best potion master in the world so I could make the best healing potion for you.”  
  
“I won’t fall.” He breaks into a grin. “Unless you break my wings.”  
  
Sehun shifts to leave trails of kisses, starting on the corner of his lips, to his chin, and then to his jaw. He nuzzles his nose against Jongin’s neck. “I won’t.”  
  
Jongin tightens his arms around him, holding him much closer even if there’s not much gap between them anymore. He swears to himself that he would never let the other boy go.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
“You are glowing.” Baekhyun accuses, pointing his fork at Jongin’s face. There’s still some strands of spaghetti winding around. Jongin reevaluates his decision to befriend him.  
  
“I’m not.” He frowns. He takes a big bite of his ham sandwich, ignoring the gleeful look on Baekhyun’s face. Chanyeol gives him a glass of pumpkin juice, which he downs right away after he gulps down his sandwich.  
  
Chanyeol leans closer so the other students couldn’t hear what he says. “So you have sorted out things with Mr. Tutor?”  
  
Jongin chokes on his juice. He coughs, slapping on his chest to calm it down. Chanyeol laughs. He only pats his back after he spends a minute full of laughter.  
  
“What gives you the idea?” He asks, gladly taking the napkin Baekhyun hands over to him. His uniform has some orange stains from the juice.  
  
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. He points his wand at the stain and performs a cleaning spell on it. Jongin sends him flying kisses.  
  
“Well, if you look at the other table, there is someone who is glowing too.”  
  
Jongin turns around to take a view of the Slytherin table. He follows Chanyeol’s gaze and finds Sehun’s blonde hair rather easily. He is laughing over something with Zitao and some other Slytherins. It’s a sight that, according to Baekhyun and Chanyeol, has never occurred since their fight last month. And if Jongin squints his eyes, willing to take closely, he would say that Sehun is really glowing. It makes him smile.  
  
Sehun seems to sense being watched. He stops laughing briefly, finally catching Jongin’s intense eyes on him. He ducks his head away, looking embarrassed. But then he looks up again, giving him a small smile that contains a big meaning. Jongin chuckles, watching as Sehun falls back into the conversation with his friends.  
  
“Definitely Oh Sehun, then.”  
  
Jongin turns back into his plate. He raises his eyebrows. “What if it’s Oh Sehun?”  
  
Chanyeol smacks his back rather too strong, causing him to cough again. “Then we are glad, dunghead. You’ve been brooding for a long time and we didn’t know how to fix it.”  
  
“We know it’s something you need to finish yourself, so we didn’t want to interfere.” Baekhyun adds. He pops another cookie into his mouth. The boy never knows when to stop.  
  
Jongin pushes his empty plate away and waits until it disappears with a pop. Another plate with strawberry cake appears instead. “I’m glad we sorted it out, too.” He says, cutting down the cake into two with his fork.  
  
“So did you two fuck yet?” Baekhyun asks with a playful glint in his eyes.  
  
“Baekhyun!” Jongin hisses. His face is red as the tomato Chanyeol is biting on. “For Merlin’s sake.”  
  
“Did you?” Baekhyun raises a suspicious eyebrow.  
  
“Not yet. Though I don’t know why it becomes your business,” he huffs. He didn’t even think about it. Well, he did, he couldn’t deny the lust he feels for the other boy. But he figured he would try to fix Sehun’s trust issue first.  
  
“Yes!” Chanyeol throws up his harms cheerfully. He offers his open palm to Baekhyun. “I won.”  
  
Baekhyun grunts. He drops some galleons onto Chanyeol’s hand. “I hate it when you are right."  
  
“Were you betting on me?” Jongin squeaks in surprise.  
  
“We were betting whether you have done it with him or not.” Chanyeol grins. “Kyungsoo bets you haven’t, so I took his advice. Baekhyun and Jongdae insisted you have done it before.”  
  
“Because you were brooding over the loss!” Baekhyun says in defense.  
  
Jongin groans into his hands. “I can’t believe you guys. Even Kyungsoo… I thought I could trust him.”  
  
“Junmyeon didn’t bet, though.” Chanyeol says, patting his shoulder.  
  
“Well thank Merlin for a sane person I know.” He bites on the cake rather harshly.  
  
“He didn’t because he is already rich, Jongin. He doesn’t need the money.” Baekhyun points out. “He did say that you two should at least do handjobs to each other though.”  
  
Jongin drops his face to the cake hearing that, not caring that it would make his face dirty. Baekhyun and Chanyeol cackles at that, and here Jongin asks the world again why he has to be friends with people like them.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
The following week, Sehun falls back into their old routine. He starts coming to the classroom too, helping Jongin with potions or his study in general.  
  
Jongin takes him to the study sessions with his friends, and he’s not surprised to see Sehun blending in the picture so well. He quickly becomes friends with them, so Jongin thinks it’s only fair to have Sehun’s friends joining them as well. Not long after that, the study group has two more Slytherins as an addition: Huang Zitao and Wu Kris.  
  
They keep their Wednesday sessions to themselves though.  
  
The Gryffindor still helps with Quidditch practices, but he makes sure to let Sehun know if he is coming late. Sehun doesn’t mind anymore. He would wait for Jongin in the classroom and later demand for extra kisses and cuddles because he has been so lonely.  
  
Jongin is surprised of how easy it is for him to learn more about Sehun. He learns his favorite color, his favorite muggle dish, the position that would get him sleep faster (curled up around Jongin), and much more later.  
  
“I’m going to die.” Sehun groans into his opened textbook.  
  
“You aren’t,” Jongin replies easily. He looks up from his own textbook. They are studying together for their Potions’ O.W.L. It puts a big pressure on him since needs to pass on this one with good grades, but it gives much more pressure on Sehun because he is expected to earn the best grade. “You are going to excel this exam.”  
  
“Nooo.” The Slytherin is surprisingly stubborn when it comes to depression. It’s just a phase, Jongin has learned, he would get over it once the hard times passes. But the stress he feels sometimes influences Jongin too. He wants Sehun to be free of the stress, even if he knows it’s not that serious.  
  
So he stands up from his chair and takes the chair next to Sehun instead. He reaches out an arm to pat on the blond’s hair. “Don’t get so wound up. You have never failed before.”  
  
“That’s the point!” Sehun cries out. “What if I screw up this time?”  
  
Jongin rolls his eyes. “The point is you aren’t going to screw up this time either.”  
  
Sehun sniffs. He turns his head, peering at Jongin with doubts in his eyes.  
  
“Come here,” Jongin pats his own thighs. “Let’s relieve your stress first so I could study peacefully.”  
  
“You want to distract me from studying by cuddling? It’s not going to work. I’m going to study more so I could earn the perfect score.” He grips on his textbook. Trying to seriously reading the passages but it wouldn’t just work. He groans in frustration.  
  
Jongin doesn’t have any option but to pull Sehun’s waist himself and position him on his thigh comfortably. A distraction is the best cure to the Slytherin’s stress, he learned this last month when the blond started to freak out when he was unable to finish his Transfiguration essay.  
  
Sehun places his head on Jongin’s shoulder, arms wrapped around his torso. His sniffs has gotten quieter, and soon they are gone once Jongin gives his back comforting strokes.  
  
“You are going to pass the exam with the best grade,” he whispers at Sehun’s ear. “You are going to do your best.”  
  
“Yes.” Sehun mumbles.  
  
“Don’t feel low, okay?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Promise me you would get focused on the studying after this?”  
  
Sehun nods his head.  
  
“Alright. Let’s go back to studying then.”  
  
Sehun pulls back from the embrace. He shakes his head. “Kiss me.”  
  
Jongin raises his eyebrows, trying hard to hide his smile. It might be unsuccessful. “But you said I shouldn’t distract you from studying by cuddling, now you ask for a kiss?”  
  
“Shut up.” Sehun blushes. He kisses Jongin instead, long and hard.  
  
  
  


✧

  
  
  
  
The O.W.L passes with a chaos for the Fifth years. The stock of Draught of Peace at the infirmary is nearly emptied since most of the students required more than one to calm their nervous. By the end of the exam, more potions have been distributed out as the last to stock up their energies.  
  
Junmyeon suggested that they should go visit Hogsmeade for the weekend as a prize for their hardwork during the exam week. The rest of them agreed, planning to meet at the Entrance Hall after breakfast before they go together to the town.  
  
Jongin finds himself eating with a big appetite after such a hellish week. He devours toasts and bacons almost more than what Baekhyun stuffs on to his own plate. They end their blissful breakfast with chocolate pudding that the House Elves prepared especially for students after their exam.  
  
“Shit,” curses Jongin after he checks his pockets.  
  
“What?” Chanyeol asks, still chewing his pudding.  
  
“I forgot to bring my money.” He checks his jeans’ pockets once again only to find them empty. “I’m going back to the Tower first. You guys could go to Hogsmeade first, save me a spot.”  
  
Baekhyun nods. He sees The Ravenclaws Trio standing up from their seats already. “We’re going to wait for you at Three Broomsticks. Don’t take too long!” He calls as Jongin rushes to Gryffindor Tower.  
  
He is such an idiot for forgetting to take his money bag. He even left it on the side of his pillow last night so he could remember in the morning. The common room is empty when he walks across it. Almost everyone in the castle is going out today. The thought makes him feels more excited.  
  
Jongin takes two flights in one step as he climbs up the stairs that leads to the dorm. He wants to grab his money and runs back to the Entrance Hall as soon as possible. He might catch his friends if he is fast enough.  
  
But when he approaches his bed to take his money, what welcomes him on the bed surprises him. It’s his broom, polished so it looks like new, lying on his bed. A note is attached to it.  
  
_Thank you for the hardwork, Mr. Kim.  
I’m pretty sure this broom misses his owner, just like you miss him.  
  
Professor Jung_  
  
Jongin shouts in joy. He grabs both his money and the broom and rushes downstairs. He is thrilled to have his broom back, but he is more thrilled to know that he now could play Quidditch again. It was tormenting him how he attends the practices without practicing himself. Chanyeol and Baekhyun would be as thrilled to hear this news.  
  
He sees Sehun waiting for him at the Entrance Hall by himself. The others must have left already.  
  
“Sehun!” He runs to his boyfriend, the broom is still gripped on his hand.  
  
“What’s that?” Sehun squints his eyes curiously.  
  
“My broom!”  
  
“You got it back?”  
  
“Yes!” Jongin feels like he couldn’t stop showing his excitement. He grabs Sehun’s arm, startling him, and drags him towards the lawn.  
  
“What are you doing? Aren’t we going to Hogsmeade today?” Sehun panics, protesting against Jongin’s tight grip on his arm.  
  
Jongin turns to look at him, still grinning widely. “We are,” he says. “By flying.”  
  
“You are crazy!” Sehun screams when Jongin climbs onto his broom. He looks at the Slytherin with expecting eyes, patting the spot behind him. “Are you expecting me to ride with you?”  
  
“Yes, Sehun. I did ask you to fly with me, didn’t I?” He smiles cheekily. He pulls his wand, spelling the saddle with extra cushion charm so it would feel more comfortable for Sehun who rides rarely.  
  
“I can’t believe this,” he mutters under his breath. But he moves to sit behind Jongin. He grips on the Gryffindor’s waist tightly, face buried on Jongin’s back.  
  
“Off we go!”  
  
Jongin pulls them into the air, laughing freely to match the scream coming from Sehun. He would need to work on Sehun’s feelings for broom riding later, but first he needs to get them safely into Hogsmeade.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
_epilogue_.

  
  
  
“I can’t eat this shit,” Jongin sighs, pushing his plate away. He puts his forehead against the cool table.  
  
“Eat.” Chanyeol pushes it back to him. “You haven’t been in a match since forever and we wouldn’t risk you having stomach cramps today.”  
  
They are dressed in their Quidditch uniforms already. This morning they will be having the final of Quidditch Cup against Slytherin. The intensive practice they did after Jongin got his broom back has drained most of their energies. The captain wouldn’t let the long practice hours come to a waste today.  
  
“It’s your favorite marmalade jam,” Baekhyun adds.  
  
Jongin pouts. “It feels like I’m going to play for the first time,” he groans, eyeing the innocent toast intensely before he finally takes a bite.  
  
“You need liquid luck?” Baekhyun blinks at him innocently. Jongin laughs dryly at his joke.  
  
“Think of it as your comeback stage. Everyone will be cheering of you.” Chanyeol pats his back.  
  
“I don’t know if I want to come back or not,” he sighs.  
  
Baekhyun shakes his head. “You’re letting Sehun’s negativeness coming into your senses! You’re almost as bad as him before the O.W.L started.”  
  
“I think I am. I feel like I’m about to throw up.”  
  
“Throw up after you grab the snitch.” The tallest says, rolling his eyes. “I won’t allow you in the team next year if you keep going like this.”  
  
“How dare you!” He hisses, throwing Chanyeol a dangerous look.  
  
“Exactly.”  
  
They finish their meal in silence later, mostly because the two has gone tired keeping up with Jongin’s whines. The Seeker manages to finish two slices of toast and an orange pudding that keeps his energy stocked up. Chanyeol nods approvingly at that.  
  
Their teammates start to appearing, gathering around them before they go together to the Quidditch pitch.  
  
“Hey.” Someone grabs on Jongin’s arm when they pass the Entrance Hall. It’s Sehun.  
  
“Don’t take too long, Jongin. We need to do the briefing.” Chanyeol calls. Jongin nods assuringly.  
  
He lets Sehun pulls him into a more secluded corner. “Good luck,” he says. “Don’t be so nervous.”  
  
“I’m not,” Jongin replies, more of convincing himself rather than Sehun.  
  
Sehun smiles. “I will be watching, so do your best.”  
  
“You’re watching? A Quidditch match?” He asks, surprised by the sudden change in his boyfriend. He couldn’t even get him listen to his rant about Quidditch scores.  
  
The blonde looks flustered, but the smile doesn’t leave his face. “I’m there to make sure you won’t injure your head or something.”  
  
“I won’t,” the words come out rushed. He is too awed by the fact that  _Oh Sehun is going to watch a Quidditch match_. “I’m too thick-headed when it comes to Quidditch, remember?”  
  
Sehun nods his head patiently. “Do your best.” He reaches out to pat both of Jongin’s shoulders. He lets his hands linger there briefly, hesitating. At Jongin’s questioning gaze, he tightens his grips and pulls him closer, pressing a sweet kiss against his lips. “Good luck.” He smiles cheekily before he lets go.  
  
Jongin feels like his heart is bursting out with happiness and warmth. He doesn’t know what to say, and if he kisses Sehun right now he wouldn’t be able to let go and that would upset Chanyeol and his teammates. So he pulls his boyfriend into a brief hug instead, not too long to let himself be carried on.  
  
“Thank you.” He says earnestly. “I love you.”  
  
Sehun laughs, surprised at the sudden confession. He covers his blushing cheeks. “I love you too, stupid. Now go and win that game for me.” He pushes Jongin’s shoulder off, ushering him to go before he does more stupid things.  
  
“I will. Just watch!” Jongin says before he finally dashes off to the pitch to meet the players in the locker room.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first sekai fic, so pardon for the ooc-ness. I hope that was an enjoyable read for you :)  
> Many thanks for L whom I constantly bugged from the beginning, N who beta-ed the whole thing despite the short time, and T for helping me at the last minute. This fic is nothing without you guys!


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